Satie: The Complete Solo Piano Music at Music Hills.com

Music CD 1

Gnossiennes (6), for piano: 6ème Gnossienne
Gnossienne for piano No. 7
Pièces froides (Cold Pieces), pieces (6) for piano: Danses de travers III
The Angora Ox, for piano (reconstructed by Johny Fritz)

Music CD 2

Allegro, for piano
Valse-ballet, for piano
Fantaisie-valse, for piano
Ogives (4), for piano: Ogive I
Ogives (4), for piano: Ogive II
Ogives (4), for piano: Ogive III
Ogives (4), for piano: Ogive IV
Sonneries de la Rose + Croix, for piano: Air de l'Ordre
Sonneries de la Rose + Croix, for piano: Air du Grand Prieur
Danses gothiques (9), for piano: 3. En faveur d'un malheureux
Danses gothiques (9), for piano: 6. Où il est question du pardon des injures reçues
Danses gothiques (9), for piano: 7. Par pitié pour les ivrognes, honteux, débauchés, imparfaits, désagréables, et faussaires en tous
Danses gothiques (9), for piano: 8. En le haut honneur du vénéré Saint Michel, le gracieux archange
Danses gothiques (9), for piano: 9. Après avoir obtenu la remise de ses fautes
Pages mystiques (3), for piano: Vexations
Poudre d'or (Gold Dust), for piano
La diva de l'Empire, song for voice & piano
Le Piccadilly, march for piano
La belle excentrique, 'serious fantasy' for orchestra (or piano, 4 hands): 1. Marche franco-lunaire

Music CD 3

Passacaille, for piano
Fugue-valse, for piano
Profondeur, minuet excercise for piano
Songe-creux, minuet excercise for piano
Le prisonnier maussade, minuet excercise for piano
Le grand singe, minuet excercise for piano
Petits chorals (12), for piano: Choral no. 1
Petits chorals (12), for piano: Choral no. 2
Petits chorals (12), for piano: Choral no. 3
Petits chorals (12), for piano: Choral no. 4
Petits chorals (12), for piano: Choral no. 5
Petits chorals (12), for piano: Choral no. 6
Petits chorals (12), for piano: Choral no. 7
Petits chorals (12), for piano: Choral no. 8
Petits chorals (12), for piano: Choral no. 9
Petits chorals (12), for piano: Choral no. 10
Petits chorals (12), for piano: Choral no. 11
Petits chorals (12), for piano: Choral no. 12 (Petite sonate)
L'enfance de Ko-Quo, for piano: 1. Ne bois pas ton chocolat avec tes doigts
L'enfance de Ko-Quo, for piano: 2. Ne souffle pas dans tes oreilles
Menus propos enfantins (Childish Chatter), for piano (from 'Enfantines'): 1. Le Chant guerrier du Roi des Haricots
Menus propos enfantins (Childish Chatter), for piano (from 'Enfantines'): 2. Ce que dit la petite Princesse des Tulipes
Menus propos enfantins (Childish Chatter), for piano (from 'Enfantines'): 3. Valse du Chocolat aux Amandes
Enfantillages pittoresques (Picturesque Childishness), for piano (from 'Enfantines'): 2. Berceuse
Enfantillages pittoresques (Picturesque Childishness), for piano (from 'Enfantines'): 2. Marche du grand Escalier
Peccadilles importunes (Tiresome Peccadilloes), for piano (from 'Enfantines'): 2. Lui manger sa tartine
Peccadilles importunes (Tiresome Peccadilloes), for piano (from 'Enfantines'): 3. Profiter de ce qu'il a des cors aux pieds pour lui
Nocturnes (5) for piano: 1er Nocturne
Nocturne for piano No. 6
Premier menuet, for piano

Music CD 4

Descriptions automatiques, for piano: 1. Sur un Vaisseau
Descriptions automatiques, for piano: 2. Sur un Lanterne
Descriptions automatiques, for piano: 2. Sur un Casque
Croquis et agaceries d'un gros bonhomme en bois (3 sketches and exasperations of a big wooden fellow), for piano: 1. Tyrolienne turqu
Croquis et agaceries d'un gros bonhomme en bois (3 sketches and exasperations of a big wooden fellow), for piano: 3. EspaZaZa
Sports et divertissements (Sports and diversions), pieces (21) for piano
Sonatine bureaucratique, for piano: 1. Allegro
Sonatine bureaucratique, for piano: 2. Andante
Sonatine bureaucratique, for piano: 3. Vivache

Music CD 5

Eginhard, prelude for piano from incidental music
Uspud, Christian ballet in 3 scenes for piano (orchestrated by Canby): Premier Acte
Jack-in-the-Box, pantomime ballet for piano (orchestrated by Milhaud): Entr'acte
Jack-in-the-Box, pantomime ballet for piano (orchestrated by Milhaud): Finale
La mort de Monsieur Mouche, prelude for piano from incidental music
Pousse l'Amour, operetta: Chanson andalouse
Le Piège de Méduse, dances for piano: 6. Polka
Le Piège de Méduse, dances for piano: 7. Quadrille
Les pantins dansent (The puppets dance), for piano
Grimaces (5) for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' incidental music: 2. Coquecigrue
Grimaces (5) for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' incidental music: 3. Chasse
Grimaces (5) for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' incidental music: 4. Fanfaronnade
Grimaces (5) for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' incidental music: 5. Retraite (pour sortir)
Parade, ballet in 1 scene for orchestra

Music reviews of Satie: The Complete Solo Piano Music

Music Review: good for completists, but...
Rating: 3 Stars

To start, most of the shorter, "lite" pieces are performed very well on disc 4. Even the most popular, (Gymnopedies, Gnossiennes) are excellent. I am also thankful I now have performances of "Uspud" and many of Satie's conservatory assignments, played expertly and with good humor. For these, the set is worth having.

But now, the bad news. As I have complained about in the past with Thibaudet's Ravel discs, I'm frankly rather put-off by his inexplicable, pointless staccato in many of the pieces. "Petite Overture a la Danser" is one of my favorite Satie miniatures, and here Thibaudet botches it by playing it way too fast with no pedal. It sounds like a joke, and I think he totally misses the point of the piece. In the "Nazareen" preludes, he adds his own extreme dynamics which are not indicated in the original scores, and the effect seems like a cheap attempt to add "spice" to what are supposed to be meditative sound constructions, based on poetry forms rather than classical forms.

"Prelude to the Heroic Gate of Heaven" is taken far too slow, and Thibaudet completely cuts out the "Curtain" coda in the original Salabert edition for no apparent reason; he seems determined to give the piece a more "proper" ending, and for this listener, it's a terrible, narcissistic, and disrespectful miscalculation.

I will keep this set since it is a complete document, flawed though it may be. But I still must insist that the best living interpreter of Satie's piano music is the ever-underrated Reinbert DeLeeuw, who is completely in-tune with Satie's sly magic. His tempos may be slow, his dynamics few, but that's the whole point; this is highly personal music, and DeLeeuw has an aesthetic I can personally agree with. For an audible explanation of what I'm talking about, compare the performances of "Petite Overture a la Danser" by DeLeeuw and Thibaudet, and you'll see what I mean.