Erik Satie

Born in 1866 in Honfleur (F), died 1925 in Arcueil near Paris. Satie started to develop his talent for piano playing at an early age, but was constantly disapproved of at the Paris Conservatoire because of his obstinately personal style. 1905 studied counterpoint at the Schola Cantorum under Albert Roussel and Vincent d'Indy. In 1913 he wrote the absurd drama «Die Falle des Qualle,» a «musical comedy in one act by M. Erik Satie with dance music by the same gentleman.» In 1917, Satie wrote the music for Diaghilev's ballet «Parade.» In 1922, Satie chaired the first Dada congress in Paris, two years later he composed the music for Renée Clair's film «Entr'Acte.»
Satie's disapproval of 19th century composers' and interpreters' expressive urges and his interest in unusual musical constellations that experiment with listeners' expectations, in performance situations and the concept of music as such had a considerable influence on the work of John Cage, who helped in his turn to attract greater attention to the almost forgotten Satie decades after his death. Pieces including the «Gymopédies,» three disarmingly simple piano pieces, even became box office hits just under a century after they were composed in 1888.