Gymnopédie No. 1
by Erik Satie
arr. by Michèle Sharik

Erik Satie (1866-1925) was regarded as an iconoclast during his lifetime, someone who went against popular ideas and institutions. Typical of his musical output are outrageous titles such as Chilled Pieces, Flabby Preludes (for a Dog), and Dried up Embryos. He also wrote a score actually in the shape of a pear because a critic said his work was "formless". He used instruments such as typewriter, steamship whistle, and air-raid siren. Written in 1888, the title Gymnopédie refers to ritual exercises performed by ancient Greek athletes (think yoga or tai chi) and, given his temperament, it's very possible that Satie meant the title to be humorously sarcastic — a response to all the pieces that his contemporaries were writing titled "Étude" which means "exercise" in the sense of a "study".

In 1896, Claude Debussy orchestrated two of Satie's Gymnopédies, and it is from that orchestration that this arrangement is adapted.

Note: This arrangement is compatible for performance with the orchestral score.

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