Description
Gnossienne No. 1
Composed by Erik Satie (1866-1925)
Arranged Paul Burnell 2012 for recorder quintet.
The arrangement comprises two separate sets of scores and parts.
One set for Soprano Recorder doubling Sopranino Recorder, two Altos, Tenor and Bass.
One set for Tenor Recorder doubling Soprano, two Basses, Great Bass and Contrabass.
Duration 3:30
The original publication does not have a time signature or barlines. Dashed bar lines have been added to this arrangement, implying a 4/4 time signature. The key, phrase marks and italicised French text of the original have been maintained.
Très luisant - very radiant/shining
Questionnez - ask
Du bout de la pensée - deep in thought
Postulez en vous-même - make demands on yourself/wonder about yourself
Pas a Pas - step by step
Sur la langue - on the tip of the tongue
Programme note:
The first three Gnossiennes for piano were composed by the French composer Erik Satie around 1890 and published in 1893. The first Gnossienne was dedicated to the music critic and composer Alexis Roland-Manuel in the 1913 reprint.
"Gnossienne" was a word that did not exist before Satie used it as a title for a composition. The word appears to be derived from the Greek noun for knowledge - "gnosis". Satie was involved in gnostic sects and movements at the time that he began to compose the Gnossiennes.