An Epic Collection of Satie

If you want to hear the Orchestral Music of Satie, here is where it begins and ends.

What a boon to have liner notes from Darius Milhaud himself, one of the few remaining composer friends of Satie.

And so too, the advocacy of Maurice Abravanel who imbues this music with punch and power, and shared a close relationship with Les Six.

I can't say any of these works would be considered favorites of mine (I find many lying on the inconsequential side), nor can I sit and listen to the whole program (I have tried!). Yet, what a stunning tribute to a composer full of musical craftsmanship, but also eccentricities.

The ballets are a hoot, if nothing else than for their sheer audacity and oddness. Yet others have a shimmering simplicity unlike few others. A few of these are orchestrations of piano music from pals of Satie, for the composer was never considered a great orchestrator.

Best of all, this is in really good sound and the Utah Symphony Orchestra made up for any flaws with sheer pluck and abandon.

A review from 2021

Eccentrics make studying music history all the more enjoyable, and Erik Satie gets a hefty chapter all to himself. Satie’s music stands right beside his personality, and to my ears, verges on cheeky circus music. Perhaps it is his frequent use of trumpet and cymbals in the orchestrations, but also his obvious love of a turn-of-the-century, French, jazzy bounce that permeates the music too.

To me, Satie’s music verges on inconsequential. Not particularly melodic and often encased in tiny bite-sized portions, he relies on relentless musical repetition which can be wearying on continuous listening. His ballets are the most vivid, with Parade and its extra-musical effects bearing down on audaciousness. I also hear modernism in some this music as well; sounds that are not as cozy and jaunty as the ballets.

We also have some Satie piano works here that have been arranged for orchestra by others, those by Debussy, Poulenc, Milhaud, et al. It is these arrangements that have Satie’s most modern-sounding music, occasionally exotic, though often with plaintively Medieval atmospheres too. While we get Debussy’s two Gymnopédies orchestrations, it would have been nice to have Roland-Manuel’s orchestration of the middle one to complete the set. Especially since his Gymnopédies are a living legacy to Satie’s abilities with melody and atmosphere.

These recordings from Vanguard of Maurice Abravanel leading the Utah Symphony Orchestra were set down in the late 60’s. On the upswing, Abravanel fills this music with energy and personality, one thing that was lacking from Kaltenbach’s recording. This personality is aided by Vanguard’s close capturing of the instruments, giving the winds a pungent aroma in the sound world. We really get those low winds in technicolor too, ones like the contrabassoons and tubas that tend to exist as ancillary.

On the other hand, I always considered the Utah SO as America’s Suisse Romande; high in spirit and energy, but not always in execution. The strings can be a bit thin and wheedly in their upper reaches, the wind tunings and timbres can be suspect, (listen to Parade’s nasty-sounding English Horn!), and balances aren’t always ideal. However, Abravanel had a special relationship with Les Six, particularly Darius Milhaud (who provides the liner notes), so there is an extra level of authority here. Also, he doesn’t dawdle in music that can’t sustain it or is overly repetitive sounding.

There are a couple other sets of Satie’s orchestral music - that by Plasson, Rosenthal, Lane, and Corp, although none quite as comprehensive as what Vanguard offers here, whose price is currently quite attractive.

I am not quite enamoured of Satie’s orchestral music on the whole, it is at its least quirky and springy, but you could hardly ask for a better collection of works, with personal advocacy from Abravanel.

Listen on YouTube

Works
Parade (14.13)
Mercure (10.52)
Belle Eccentrique (1.39)
Five Grimaces (3.33)
Relache (17.56)
In Riding Clothes (5.43)
Gymnopédies (5.40)
Three Morceaux (13.10)
Two Preludes (9.22)
Le Fils Des Etoiles (7.46)
Jack in the Box (5.40)

Performers
Utah Symphony Orchestra
Maurice Abravanel, conductor

Label: Vanguard
Year: 1968 / 2005
Total Timing: 1.37.31

 

 

 I am going to afford this one the Oozy stamp, realizing there are some drawbacks.

Satie's music verges on the inconsequential to me, yet if anyone is interested in his orchestral music, this is the place to go.

 A wonderful portion of musical history exists here too!

Find more Satie recordings HERE!