Satie, Erik : 3 Valses du precieux degoute
Work Overview
Composition Year:1914
Publication Year:1916
First Publisher:Rouart-Lerolle
Instrumentation:Piano Solo
Genre:pieces
Total Playing Time:3 min 30 sec
Copyright:Public Domain
Commentary (1)
Author : Higuchi, Ai
Last Updated: November 1, 2007
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Author : Higuchi, Ai
Satie composed this three-movement work over three days, one movement per day. Each of the three movements is accompanied by a kind of preface and unique textual annotations within the music. These texts capture the physical aspects and personality of the male protagonist. It is said that the work was composed with Ravel's Valses nobles et sentimentales, composed in 1911, in mind.
First Movement: His Appearance
The first movement, "His Appearance," depicts a man with an excessively narcissistic and show-off nature. The piece lacks a time signature, key, and cadences. Although it has a waltz rhythm, the tempo is not a comfortable waltz tempo. The flow of the low notes in the left hand, centered on half notes, creates a heavy and sluggish waltz.
Second Movement: His Lorgnette
The second movement, "His Lorgnette," describes a man who has lost his lorgnette, a gift from a lady, and has become dispirited. The left-hand movement in this piece features a motif reminiscent of Satie's Gymnopédies. The use of half-step and whole-step intervals and movements with few leaps evokes a sense of emptiness. It is a spiritless, anticlimactic waltz.
Third Movement: His Legs
The third movement, "His Legs," describes a woman appearing in formal attire at night, and the man's thoughts from his perspective regarding her. The text stating "them" (彼女たち) is written as a euphemism for "legs." Like the preceding movements, this piece lacks a time signature, but it features accents, and the three beats of the waltz create a light and nimble flow.
Throughout the three movements, it is a captivating work that prompts reflection on the nature of the waltz.
Movements (3)
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Sheet Music
Scores List (2)

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