a French composer and pianist. Satie was an influential artist in the late 19th- and early 20th-century Parisian avant-garde. His work was a precursor to later artistic movements such as minimalism, repetitive music, and the Theatre of the Absurd.
Getting Rid of the Glue: Erik Satie 1. Satie, the original hippie, wrote three sarabandes in 1887. a. Satie’s sarabandes, however, were different, particularly in their use of harmony. “Consonant” seventh and ninth chords became a sign of French style. b. By making these chords consonant, Satie removed the harmonic glue.
New Fashions: Les Six 1. A new group of composers who followed Satie were known as Les Six: Poulenc, Milhaud, Auric, Honegger, Tailleferre, and Durey. 2. Satie conceived of musique d’ameublement (furniture music), which is background music—not meant to be listened to. 3. American popular music figured prominently in their aims.