A Mammal's Notebook: Collected Writings of Erik Satie (Atlas Arkhive) - Softcover

Satie, Erik

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0947757929 ISBN 13: 9780947757922

Publisher: Atlas Pr, 1996

Synopsis

This is the largest selection (in any language) of Erik Satie's writings yet to appear, and includes previously unpublished texts, drawings and photographs.
Dismissed as a bizarre eccentric by many, Erik Satie has come to be seen as a key influence on twentieth century music. His compositions include, among other pieces, the ubiquitous Gymnopedies, the 3 Pieces in the Form of a Pear, and the Dada opera Relache. In later life he gathered round him Les Six and the cream of the new generation of French composers. His influence has continued to widen; John Cage and the New York School composers hailed him as "indispensable," and more recently certain of his pieces have been seen as prefiguring both Minimalist and Ambient music.
His poignant, sly and witty writings embody all his contradictions. Included here are his "autobiographical" Memoirs of an Amnesic, and wryly comic musical commentaries; the gnomic annotations to his musical scores ("For the SHRIVELLED and the DIMWITS, I have written a suitably ponderous chorale ... a kind of austere, unfrivolous introduction ... I dedicate this chorale to those who do not like me."); the publications of his private church; his absurdist play Medusa's Snare; advertising copy for his local suburban newspaper, and the mysterious, elaborately calligraphed, "private advertisements" found stuffed behind his piano after his death.

About this title

Reviews

Fifth and last in Atlas's "Archive Documents of the Avant-garde," this is the first about a composer, though it emphasizes Satie's prose writings and pen-and-ink drawings. Musical examples are included only to illustrate Satie's distinctive musical autograph or the placement of whimsical performance directions, such as his command to a pianist to "put yourself in the shade." Satie so enjoyed playing with words and being "original" that translations of his writings are a bit dangerous, but for any English-only reader interested in Satie's iconoclastic, inventive spirit, this well-organized collection of much nonsense and some sincerity?including articles about Stravinsky and Debussy?will be welcome. Excellent, unobtrusive notes give sources and dates and explain certain elements of content. Recommended for larger music collections that already have studies of Satie's music and all collections concerned with the early 20th-century avant garde.?Bonnie Jo Dopp, Long Branch Community Lib., Silver Spring, Md.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Atlas Pr
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0947757929
• ISBN 13: 9780947757922
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208
• Editor: Volta Ornella