Vexations

Vexations (Fr. about: torture ) is a piano piece by French composer Erik Satie. It is one of the first examples of a repetitive arrangement and for atonality in art music and is generally even considered one of the longest pieces of music history, although the score consists of only one page. Probably one of Satie's Vexations series of works, Pages Mystique, although this is not certain.

The piece was probably composed in 1893, consists of a theme and two variations. For manner of realization Satie gave the idiosyncratic advice:

To play this motif eight hundred forty times, it will be good to prepare for it, in the deepest silence, by serious immobility.

Because little evidence exists on the genesis of the work and Satie also never mentioned in his ( received ) letters, the musical arrangement to date is controversial, it is sometimes referred to as a musical joke of the composer. However, there is one because of the unusual nature of the most famous works of Satie.

Concept and characteristics

The theme of the play is a unanimous, simple melody that contains only quarter and eighth notes. Harmonious contained in the only 13 beats long melody numerous jumps between different keys. There is no tonal melody, so there is no such clear fundamental pitch, even if you can divide the melody into four short sections with its own key. Barlines or precise tempo markings are not present, only one statement Très lent (French: very slow). Even the musical instrument is not specified, but it is certain that the piece for piano or harmonium was written.

The two variations consist of two parts that are added in equal note values ​​as double counterpoint to the topic ( homophony ). In this way, a chord based on note-on. Satie chose it for the distance between the two upper voices with one exception (first eighth note of the second beat ) augmented fourths ( tritone ).

Satie used numerous enharmonic confusion in the notation of Vexations, such as certain sounds in several species are represented by different accidentals. This has, according to the musicologist Robert Orledge, who analyzed the piece, the presence of a tone ladder back, which also appears in a letter written in the same year short piece called Bonjour, Biqui, Bonjour, the Satie had composed as a gift for his then- mistress. Satie used such scales, especially in his later period after 1917.

The instruction to repeat the piece 840 times, can be found in a short introductory text on the score. This states in substance, that, if one intends to repeat this piece 840 times, should be previously prepare in silence and immobility it. It is therefore uncertain whether the number of repetitions is required, even if it is always assumed in the performances of the piece. According to some analyzes, the exist of Vexations, but the effects of seemingly endless repetition is the chord progression meaning of this statement.

Publication, performances and reception

Vexations was first published in print in 1949, long after the composer's death. The notoriety of the play owes much to the interest of John Cage to him who pursued similar experiments in terms of unusual arrangement structures mid-20th century. Also in the scene around the serial music Vexations was observed, partly it is regarded for its series of notes as a precursor of this movement.

On September 9, 1963, the work of a team of several pianists, including Cage himself premiered. Only one person from beginning to end of the piece, which lasted, present 18 hours and 40 minutes (of 18 clock bis 12:40 clock the day after).

After the premiere, numerous other pianists tried to the challenge of Vexations. The screening period was, depending on interpretation of Satie's instructions 12-28 hours. Individual players while also managed a complete presentation alone.

Since the 1970s, the performances of the piece received attention in the music psychological research, particularly in the division of Performance Research. In particular, the focus here was on the effects of extreme stress due to the long duration and interpretation of the slow pace of the pianists themselves E. Clarke constructed in 1982 specifically to a particular computer to the wing to measure the timing of playing the piece accurately. The music psychologist Reinhard Kopiez addressed in 2003 in a research project with the piece during a 28- hour performance of the pianist Armin Fuchs.

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