Erik Satie

Sonatine bureaucratique

Although Satie took the classical form as a model for his 'Sonatine', it is quintessentially an ironic work. The composer, who later in life liked to be seen walking through the streets wearing a stiff collar and bowler hat, included lines of text between the staves that describe the day of a typical Parisian bureaucrat. The bureaucrat sits in a chair with green silk sleeve guards and dreams of being promoted. 'Next door a piano is playing Clementi'... and at this point parodied echoes of Clementi's popular Sonatine op. 36/1 can actually be heard. Ulrich Krämer provides knowledgeable background information in the preface to our edition that will enable a better understanding of Satie's work.