Erik Satie - Gnossienne No. 1

Requested by Arunav Munjal.
Erik Satie - Gnossienne no. 1, from Trois Gnossiennes

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[leejones]

I was on a bus trip a few years ago and we went to a recreated Pioneer Village that was decorated for Autumn/Halloween. I happened to walk past a dimly lit barn with candles in the window and music playing. The sound was haunting to me so I stood there listening. Suddenly, a figure dressed in muslin cloth with her face covered with a veil slowly approached the entrance and was swaying to this tune. I was mesmerized by this. I didn't know what was playing and it took me a while to find it on YouTube. It was Gnossienne No. 1.

[victorvarenium]

You're the first person I've heard who's not rushing through this piece. Thanks!

[antoinetoma]

Few people know the meaning of Gnossienne. This is the explanation I give when I teach them this song (my explanation). Gnose in French (from Greek gnosis) means knowledge ("connaissance", feminine noun) and "sienne", feminine adjective for "sien" means oneself. Gnossienne is the knowledge every one makes out for oneself.
So it's an introspection on how you express yourself musically (but it works for language too) and how you should choose to express yourself. All the Satie's annotations on the score show this. They are really important and often not respected because few people understand them. "Très luisant" means "Show off" (what you probably do at the beginning when you play). "Questionnez": Question yourself about what you're doing. "Du bout de la pensée" refers to an achieved form of thinking. It's your thought just before speaking or playing and it's your natural thought coming from yourself. "Postulez en vous-même" : Think in yourself among several possibilities and postulate, make a decision. And finally "Sur la langue": on the tip of your tongue, what you are going to play, after a thorough thinking, but without being completely sure, because nobody can be sure of one's knowledge.
Thank you Mr. Satie for this music and philosophy lesson !

[thecameraman]

I was listening to this song while i was cleaning my house.
Sorry if it sounds dramatic, but it was such a strange feeling, that i immediately wanted to write a comment.
A stressful and boring feeling. Doing something ordinary and normal, while inside, deep down in the heart, there this sadness and anxiety, mixed with gratitude and comfort.
A real conflict.
Grateful for what you have, and sad for what you can't do or have. Stuck in a loop, waiting for a miracle of fate, for a chance to change, to be better.

[mayproductions]

Finally someone who doesn't play it way too fast, when you play this piece too fast it just takes away the emotion for me

[mals]

this piece made me discover a whole new feeling that is still unknown to me

[sneddypie]

my favorite piece by satie. its just so, like, mysterious, with the placement of the notes, especially for me the b naturals placed over the f minor chords. wonderful, the slower tempo really makes it all around better. what a genius maniac satie was. the thing with this piece is that its quite repetitive, so its up to the performer to make it sound like it never repeats.

[hughmungus]

kinda feels like you finally found your answer but it wasnt the one you were expecting

[brdsantos]

This is, by far, my favorite interpretation of this piece... The dynamics and pacing are perfect, in my opinion.

[blueberrypie]

this song feels like walking down a victorian london street in the rain on an autumn day with an overcast sky and light from shop windows reflecting in the puddles on the cobbled street

[beauclair]

It reminds me of how life is fatal. We can’t avoid dying. In someway, we are submitted to destiny. We can’t change it.

[EPrimeify]

I started watching “The Queen’s Gambit” and I just heard this. I had to pause it and immediately come back here because I love this piece so much.

[luvscxrs]

I’m gonna learn to play this on my own piano over quarantine, wish me luck.

[CarpathianWasteGroup]

Ahh I always come back to this because the tempo is just perfect.

[miguelonate-fleming]

I remember a long time ago I went to a van goh exhibition and this song was playing. I wasn't into much of his work but soon remember listening to this as I walked through the various pieces. I think that was when I grew to really appreciate some of his works. I also started learning the piano because of this song. It was just a surreal experience I can't explain.

[adamhammond]

This the tempo that I believe Satie had in mind, because since it's part of Lent it's almost like it's meant to be mournful of something😢. Beautiful playing, don't stop. 👌👌👌

[grey]

Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.
-Franz Kafka

[JCPontecha]

This piece is kind of having a mystery... i remember those movies scene with this kind of background...

[alexandermanullang]

I love Satie. I had a piano teacher for 6-7 years and she died from cancer. She helped me alot, I was really sad. I didnt wanna see her go. One of Satie’s piece was played at her funeral. That was one of the saddest days. I said goodbye while crying a whole lake.






Edit: im still sad till this day

[azinzakeri]

its just to pretty finally someone who plays it slow and most importantly with emotion only real pianists can tell by the emotion this song is giving off!