Help me find the most obscure Eric Satie gift possible
December 1, 2013 9:51 AM Subscribe
I want to get a truly special gift for someone who loves the music of Eric Satie. Where can I find the most hard-to-find or most amazing recordings?
While looking for CDs on Amazon, I realized there is a lot of debate around which pianist "gets" Satie the best and obviously those depend a lot on personal tastes but are there particular recordings that would be really special to a Satie fan? Since so much music can be downloaded, I would love to find something that wouldn't be as easy to download.
Bonus if you can also offer similar suggestions for Ravel and Stravinsky. Thanks!
While looking for CDs on Amazon, I realized there is a lot of debate around which pianist "gets" Satie the best and obviously those depend a lot on personal tastes but are there particular recordings that would be really special to a Satie fan? Since so much music can be downloaded, I would love to find something that wouldn't be as easy to download.
Bonus if you can also offer similar suggestions for Ravel and Stravinsky. Thanks!
As to Ravel and Stravinsky are we talking all of their music or works for piano? Because there are a ton of recordings of both and many are obscure.
posted by VikingSword at 10:12 AM on December 1, 2013
posted by VikingSword at 10:12 AM on December 1, 2013
Teodoro Anzellotti's Accordion versions - it was a favorite of several WFMU DJs, and along with this article, it's what turned me on to the guy.
The physical media itself is a bit nicer than the usual jewelbox - it comes in a nice kind of textured cloth-covered digipak if I remember correctly.
posted by unmake at 10:32 AM on December 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
The physical media itself is a bit nicer than the usual jewelbox - it comes in a nice kind of textured cloth-covered digipak if I remember correctly.
posted by unmake at 10:32 AM on December 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
Buy this dvd. The dvd extra entr'acte shows Satie loading a canon.
posted by ouke at 11:39 AM on December 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by ouke at 11:39 AM on December 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
Seconding the Anzellotti accordion versions. But for something even more obscure, you could track down Yuko Ikoma's album of Satie performed on music boxes: Moisture with Music Box. It's actually really good -- not just a novelty.
posted by neroli at 11:59 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by neroli at 11:59 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
How about an excerpt from Vexations? Or the Musique de la Rose + Croix, etc.?
posted by misteraitch at 12:02 PM on December 1, 2013
posted by misteraitch at 12:02 PM on December 1, 2013
I once saw these two movies, Satie and Suzanne and Ravel's Brain as a double bill presentation by my local experimental music ensemble.
The Ravel one is not worth quite that exorbitant sum but is interesting if you can find a cheaper somewhere. And depending on your budget, the Satie might fit the bill. It's charming, and a bit off center from just an audio recording, so your Satie fan might be less likely to have it or be aware of it.
posted by Stacey at 12:05 PM on December 1, 2013
The Ravel one is not worth quite that exorbitant sum but is interesting if you can find a cheaper somewhere. And depending on your budget, the Satie might fit the bill. It's charming, and a bit off center from just an audio recording, so your Satie fan might be less likely to have it or be aware of it.
posted by Stacey at 12:05 PM on December 1, 2013
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It might be interesting to go in a different direction - with the small risk that tastes may differ. In that spirit there is the very first transcription of Satie's music for guitar, by the excellent Anders Miolin:
Guitar Transcriptions E. Satie by Anders Miolin
It's out of stock on Amazon, but you should be able to get it elsewhere.
Another somewhat riskier pick would be an exploration of what might be inherent in Satie - this would be improvisation on Satie by the pianist Michael Gees:
ImproviSatie - Michael Gees
posted by VikingSword at 10:05 AM on December 1, 2013 [2 favorites]