Recommendations, suggestions on a Complete Satie's Piano Music

[porcy62]

The title says all. I'd prefer recent recordings with a good sound over historically performances.

Thanks.

Edited June 23, 2014 by porcy62

[jazzbo]

I only have, and only really know, "Complete Solo Piano" by Jean-Yves Thibaudet (2003) on Decca. Sound is great. I like the performances, but don't have other performances to compare it to.

[porcy62]

Actually I have the first three voumes of Ciccolini on EMI, missed the last twos, the sound is rather poor, but the performance is ok, IMHO.

[Joe]

Somewhat controversial tempos (slow), but I am a big fan of Reinbert de Leeuw's Satie.

http://www.amazon.com/Early-Piano-Works-3-Gymnopedies/dp/B0000069CS/

[mikeweil]

The musically best, by measures, IMHO, is Jean-Joel Barbier - his teacher was a person who had experienced Satie himself playing his piano pieces, he gives a less aesthetically refined look on the music, it has a stark quality making it sound as bold today as it must have to his contemporaries.

If it's too pricey, try amazon.fr - there are good offers there. I got my copy from them as German sellers asked way too much for it. It was recorded in the late 1960's in a studio, rather directly, no concert hall ambience. The remastering is very good. I had previous single CD reissues from the 1980's which had a lot of audible hiss - the sound of this box is much better.

I grew up listening to Aldo Ciccolini's recording of the 1960's, which has a rather spacy sound. He did a new digital recording after CD was introduced which sounds a bit harsh. The older recording sounds a bit better, IMO.

Compared to Barbier's approach most other recordings sound like Ryuchi Sakamoto, which I find inappropriate. Your view of Satie will not be the same after listening to Barbier.

Edited June 23, 2014 by mikeweil

[porcy62]

Thanks Mike, I just ordered Barbier thru Amazon France, together with the last Jarrett/Haden. And thanks to Lon and Joe, obviously.

Edited June 23, 2014 by porcy62

[mikeweil]

Please report your impressions - it's really different from any other Satie renderings you may have heard. The Gymnopédies are not the new age impressionistic stuff they become under everybody else's hands. He is lyrical, but with a strong flavor like a good wine.

That's a helluva compliment that you're buying it on my recommendation - or did you listen to samples, too?

Someone called Satie "beautiful music going in the nude" - Barbier's playing is much like that.

Edited June 23, 2014 by mikeweil

[porcy62]

That's a helluva compliment that you're buying it on my recommendation - or did you listen to samples, too?

I tend more to follow suggestions of knowledgeable people. Samples are just samples, I need several listenings in order to "understand", like wines, it needs time to ripen in my mind.

Edited June 23, 2014 by porcy62

[Larry Kart]

I semi-obsessively compared a lot of Satie piano recordings a few years ago. This CD from English composer-pianist John White struck me as special, though of course it's not the complete works:

http://www.amazon.com/Erik-Satie-Piano-John-White/dp/B000005I6H

I also liked Haukon Austbo's set, which is not complete but contains a good deal.

[Д.Д.]

Somewhat controversial tempos (slow), but I am a big fan of Reinbert de Leeuw's Satie.

http://www.amazon.com/Early-Piano-Works-3-Gymnopedies/dp/B0000069CS/

Love this one! The recording is quote hissy, but somehow it fits. And yes, very very slow. Have Ciccolini '80s recordings, don't like them that much.

[7/4]

Somewhat controversial tempos (slow), but I am a big fan of Reinbert de Leeuw's Satie.

http://www.amazon.com/Early-Piano-Works-3-Gymnopedies/dp/B0000069CS/

Love this one! The recording is quote hissy, but somehow it fits. And yes, very very slow. Have Ciccolini '80s recordings, don't like them that much.

That's exactly the two recordings I have, with the same results. I prefer Reinbert de Leeuw's Satie.

[Д.Д.]

I semi-obsessively compared a lot of Satie piano recordings a few years ago. This CD from English composer-pianist John White struck me as special, though of course it's not the complete works:

http://www.amazon.com/Erik-Satie-Piano-John-White/dp/B000005I6H

I also liked Haukon Austbo's set, which is not complete but contains a good deal.

Checked it out on Spotify, it is very nice indeed.

Spotify link: https://play.spotify.com/album/5vvYpqZmpdW4BWkHR18iCL

[soulpope]

Somewhat controversial tempos (slow), but I am a big fan of Reinbert de Leeuw's Satie.

http://www.amazon.com/Early-Piano-Works-3-Gymnopedies/dp/B0000069CS/

- still for a completely different perspective on Satie appreciate Ciccolini`s EMI performances too.....

[soulpope]

I semi-obsessively compared a lot of Satie piano recordings a few years ago. This CD from English composer-pianist John White struck me as special, though of course it's not the complete works:

http://www.amazon.com/Erik-Satie-Piano-John-White/dp/B000005I6H

I also liked Haukon Austbo's set, which is not complete but contains a good deal.

did you in mentioned survey also have a chance listening to Anne Queffelec`s Satie recordings from the late eighties for Virgin ?

Edited June 24, 2014 by soulpope

[porcy62]

Compared to Barbier's approach most other recordings sound like Ryuchi Sakamoto, which I find inappropriate. Your view of Satie will not be the same after listening to Barbier.

Amazing experience indeed! Thanks.

[Larry Kart]

I semi-obsessively compared a lot of Satie piano recordings a few years ago. This CD from English composer-pianist John White struck me as special, though of course it's not the complete works:

http://www.amazon.com/Erik-Satie-Piano-John-White/dp/B000005I6H

I also liked Haukon Austbo's set, which is not complete but contains a good deal.

did you in mentioned survey also have a chance listening to Anne Queffelec`s Satie recordings from the late eighties for Virgin ?

No, didn't hear her. Some of of the others I listened to were Pascal Roge, De Leeuw, Patrick Cohen, and Peter Dickinson. There were more. Ciccolini I knew from back when. Roge was a perfect example of why elegantly shaded French pianism is not the way to Satie. Cohen IIRC was interesting/eccentric, but I no longer recall in what way. Dickinson, like White a composer, had a similar grasp of how Satie's music ought to be handled IMO -- a certain plainness/absence of rhetoric, a la John Cage's string quartet, perhaps.

[soulpope]

I semi-obsessively compared a lot of Satie piano recordings a few years ago. This CD from English composer-pianist John White struck me as special, though of course it's not the complete works:

http://www.amazon.com/Erik-Satie-Piano-John-White/dp/B000005I6H

I also liked Haukon Austbo's set, which is not complete but contains a good deal.

did you in mentioned survey also have a chance listening to Anne Queffelec`s Satie recordings from the late eighties for Virgin ?

No, didn't hear her. Some of of the others I listened to were Pascal Roge, De Leeuw, Patrick Cohen, and Peter Dickinson. There were more. Ciccolini I knew from back when. Roge was a perfect example of why elegantly shaded French pianism is not the way to Satie. Cohen IIRC was interesting/eccentric, but I no longer recall in what way. Dickinson, like White a composer, had a similar grasp of how Satie's music ought to be handled IMO -- a certain plainness/absence of rhetoric, a la John Cage's string quartet, perhaps.

thnx for your feedback - will keep Queffelec in mind, probably there will sooner or later a momentum developed........to stock up a "shopping basket"........

[mikeweil]

Patrick Cohen was a big disappointment - the first to use a 19th century grand piano, but his too slow tempos and arhythmic phrasing make this a bore.

De Leeuw plays too slow as well - this is not elegant neo-impressionistic music as most take it, but was angular. The post modern esthetic thrust on Satie is totally inappropriate - there's a similar misconception about Debussy.

I urge you to listen to Barbier - it will rock your Satie world.

There is a recent CD using a historic piano, by Claire Chevallier - she plays very slow tempos, too, but at least stays in time and carries the moods convincingly.

[soulpope]

I urge you to listen to Barbier - it will rock your Satie world.

mike, subject statement of yours sounds like a strong recommendation to me....will contemplate.......

Edited June 25, 2014 by soulpope

[mikeweil]

I make statements like this only when I am truly convinced - as I said I grew up with Ciccolini's Satie recordings, and loved them, then read Satie's letters and writings and said to myself, this man was clearly more than a bit eccentric, so his music should sound at least a bit like this. Then I heard about Barbier, found one CD, listened, shook my head in disbelief and hunted for all the other CDs - but this new box sounds much better. Barbier's teacher was someone personally acquainted with Satie. With all other pianist it sounds like elevator muzak to me.

Another fact that set me to thinking about Ciccolini's Satie was that his Debussy sounds rather bland. It's a pity that Satie never made any Welte-Mignon or other mechanical piano recordings - I have such made by Debussy and Ravel and their playing is much more personal than any other recording I have heard. Much like the music of a jazz painist-composer sounds different when played by himself.

Edited June 26, 2014 by mikeweil

[soulpope]

I make statements like this only when I am truly convinced - as I said I grew up with Ciccolini's Satie recordings, and loved them, then read Satie's letters and writings and said to myself, this man was clearly more than a bit eccentric, so his music should sound at least a bit like this. Then I heard about Barbier, found one CD, listened, shook my head in disbelief and hunted for all the other CDs - but this new box sounds much better. Barbier's teacher was someone personally acquainted with Satie. With all other pianist it sounds like elevator muzak to me.

Another fact that set me to thinking about Ciccolini's Satie was that his Debussy sounds rather bland. It's a pity that Satie never made any Welte-Mignon or other mechanical piano recordings - I have such made by Debussy and Ravel and their playing is much more personal than any other recording I have heard. Much like the music of a jazz painist-composer sounds different when played by himself.As I do appreciate yourself championing Barbier`s Satie

As I do appreciate your straightforward championing of Barbier`s Satie ( and as Amazon.de was prepared to send it for around Euro 20 without additional postage....) I finally gave in and pressed the "order" button.......

Edited June 26, 2014 by soulpope

[porcy62]

You will not disappointed.

[Larry Kart]

Patrick Cohen was a big disappointment - the first to use a 19th century grand piano, but his too slow tempos and arhythmic phrasing make this a bore.

Now that you mention it, Mike, that was my eventual verdict on Cohen, too. My initial somewhat positive reaction might have been based on listening to Roge's prettified Satie just before that.

P.S. Is there a way to sample Barbier's recording?

[Joe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8fzMBnUoZc

[Larry Kart]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8fzMBnUoZc

Very interesting. I see by comparison that Austbo, for one, "does" something with this piece in particular, but I find Ausbto's logic (or "logic") compelling and/or attractive, while also responding to the more or less a-rhetorical rhetorical approach of Barbier.