Satie the Onion: his surreal life viewed in reverse. Donald Macleod peels off the layers, looking at Satie's mid-life-crisis, when he went back to school and wrote chorales.

Erik Satie's existence was a self-consciously surreal one. He reinvented himself throughout his life, rather like a proto-David Bowie, changing his clothing, his friends, his beliefs, and his music. Though he claimed not to want to, he influenced countless others, but he had a tendency to dramatically fall out with almost everyone he was close to. This week, marking the composer's 150th anniversary, Donald Macleod peels off the layers to examine Satie's life in reverse, beginning with his significant posthumous influence and working back to the early music which is still a household name.

In 1905 at the age of 40 and after several years working as a composer and professional musician, Satie suffered a crisis of confidence and decided that he needed to re-learn the rudiments of music. He studied very successfully at the Schola Cantorum under Vincent D'Indy, and passed on his newly acquired knowledge to youngsters near his home in Arcueil. This decision had been a shock to his closest friends, including his first champion, Claude Debussy.

Chorales 1 & 2
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

En habit de cheval
Michel Plasson, conductor
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse

Pieces enfantines (Nouvelles enfantines, Menus propos enfantins, Enfantillages pittoresques, Peccadilles importunes)
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

Allons-y chochotte
Gabriel Bacquier, baritone
Aldo Ciccolini, piano
Trois Morceaux en forme de poire
Pascal Roge, Jean-Philippe Collard, pianos

Tendrement
Regine Crespine, soprano
Philippe Entremont, piano

Satie orch Debussy: Gymnopédies
Michel Plasson, conductor
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse

Producer: Dominic Jewel. Show less