Eric Satie is a well-known French composer and pianist whose work influenced the formation of European music in the first quarter of the 20th century. However, real recognition came to him only after death.
Biography
Eric Alfred-Leslie Satie, better known as Eric Satie, was born in the coastal city of Honfleur, which is located in the Norman region of France, May 17, 1866. His father, Jules Alfred Satie, originally worked as a ship broker, but after moving to Paris he became a translator. His mother, Jane Leslie Anton, studied music and wrote several pieces for the piano.
Eric Sati became the first-born of his parents. Later, his younger sister Olga Lafoss and brother Conrad were born. Until 1872, the family lived in Paris, but after the death of their mother, the children were sent to Honfleur, where they were brought up by their paternal grandfather in strict Catholic traditions.
Eric Satie Honfleur House Photo: Francis Schonken / Wikimedia Commons
Sati has been interested in music since childhood. In 1874, his grandfather sent him to study the piano under the guidance of the organist of the local church. Vinot, the name of the teacher Sati, introduced the boy to liturgical music and Gregorian singing, the influence of which can be traced in his subsequent works.
In 1878, the piano teacher left Honfleur. In the same year, his grandmother died and the children were sent back to Paris to his father. Around 1879, Sati entered the Paris Conservatory. But the teachers did not understand the creativity of the young man and considered him a lazy student. In the end, after two and a half years of training, Sati was expelled.
But he continued to write music and in 1885 returned to the conservatory, but this did not change the attitude of teachers to him or to his work. In November 1886, Sati left the conservatory and voluntarily went to military service.
View of Paris Photo: Josh Hallett / Wikimedia Commons
Very soon, he realized that army life was not for him. Wanting to return home faster, Sati began to get out of his barracks at night and walk half-dressed in the cold winter air. As a result, he caught severe bronchitis.
In April 1887, the pianist returned to Paris for a two-month vacation granted for health reasons, and in November 1887 he was finally dismissed from the army.
Career and creativity
After recovering from his illness at home, Eric Satie began working on his two famous works "Trois Sarabandes" and "Gymnopedies". He then focused on the creation of Sarabandes, which was completed on September 18, 1887, and was included in Eric Sati's first three main compositions, along with Trois Sarabandes and Gymnopedies.
In December 1887, he received 1, 600 francs as a gift from his father and moved to the bohemian part of Paris Montmartre. In the same year, Sati met and made friends with the famous French composer Claude Debussy.
View of Montmartre, Paris Photo: Josefu ~ commonswiki / Wikimedia Commons
Later, the composer created such works as "Ogives", "Gnossiennes", "Tendrement", "Danses gothiques", "Le Picadilly", "Prelude d'Eginhard", "Priere", "Modere" and others, but throughout his creative activity, he constantly experienced financial instability.
In the end, Sati was forced to leave Montmartre and move to Arkay, where the last years of his life passed.
