Descriptions Automatiques

“Before I compose a piece, I walk around it several times, accompanied by myself.”

The Original Soundtrack on the dietary habits of Erik Satie. Satie's always been a fascinating, elusive figure for me, particularly as my knowledge of 'serious, or in the realm of informed barbarism, 'classical' music' (copyright TW Adorno) is relatively negligible. Am reminded of that faintly patronising line in Minima Moralia about how sometimes Satie's sweetness could be more mysterious and effective than the most complex and tortured of Schoenberg pieces. Satie of course had impeccable Dadaist credentials, as seen by his appearance in Rene Clair's excellent piece of frippery Entracte (above), playing chess and levitating. Over a hungover weekend I've been immersing myself in some of these pretty, cryptic little pieces, and have tried not to think while doing so of the day I once spent at his house in Honfleur, now turned into an impeccably twee tourist attraction. As you go in, a giant pear bounces up and down to the Gymnopedies on loop. A pianola plays the 'hits' (a shame, as it could be programmed to play all 2 days of 'Vexations'). A little sad really, when you think of the austerity and discipline that make Satie interesting in the first place.