The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School School of Music INTERMEDIAL AND AESTHETIC INFLUENCES ON ERIK SATIE’S LATE COMPOSITIONAL PRACTICES A Thesis in Music Theory by Michael S. Boerner © 2013 Michael S. Boerner Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts May 2013 The thesis of Michael S. Boerner was reviewed and approved* by the following: Taylor A. Greer Associate Professor of Music Thesis Advisor Maureen A. Carr Distinguished Professor of Music Marica S. Tacconi Professor of Musicology Assistant Director for Research and Graduate Studies *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School. ii ABSTRACT Artistic works involving a variety of mediums tend to be approached and analyzed from a single artistic viewpoint, failing to consider the interactions of the different mediums that define the work as a whole. The creative process is influenced by the types of mediums involved, individuals participating in the collaboration, and the overall aesthetic climate of the period. Erik Satie (1866-1925) created numerous intermedial works in the last decade of his life where the medium impacted the compositional practices contained within his music. Satie was also tangentially involved in a number of artistic and aesthetic movements, such as Cubism, Dadaism, and early Surrealism, which influenced his integration. His personal relations and collaborations with prominent artists of these movements, such as Francis Picabia, André Breton, and Pablo Picasso. The works investigated in this thesis highlight Satie’s consideration of extramusical influences and include Sports et divertissements (1923), Parade (1917), Relâche (1924), and Cinéma: Entr’acte (1924). Two additional pieces composed by the Dada artist Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes (1884-1974) will also be examined as a point of comparison with Satie’s works. Pas de la chicorée frisée (1920) and Le nombril interlope (1920) are included to highlight the influence of contemporary aesthetics on artists working primarily in nonmusical mediums. In this instance Ribemont-Dessaignes adopts the musical medium as a means to express Dada tendencies. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................vi LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY ..............................................1 1.1 Overview...................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Objectives ....................................................................................................3 1.3 Methodology and Musical Literature........................................................... 5 1.4 Analytical Components ................................................................................9 1.5 Historical Context ......................................................................................13 1.6 Artistic Aesthetics ......................................................................................16 CHAPTER 2: SPORTS ET DIVERTISSEMENTS.............................................................. 18 2.1 Conception .................................................................................................18 2.2 Analytical Components ..............................................................................21 2.3 Aesthetic Implications ................................................................................32 CHAPTER 3: PARADE ......................................................................................................34 3.1 Conception .................................................................................................34 3.2 Analytical Components ..............................................................................35 3.3 Aesthetic Implications ................................................................................48 CHAPTER 4: RÊLACHE AND CINÉMA: ENTR’ACTE ..................................................51 4.1 Conception .................................................................................................51 4.2 Analytical Components ..............................................................................54 4.3 Aesthetic Implications ................................................................................75 CHAPTER 5: LE NOMBRIL INTERLOPE AND PAS DE LA CHICORÉE FRISÉE........ 77 5.1 Conception .................................................................................................77 5.2 Analytical Components ..............................................................................79 5.3 Aesthetic Implications ..............................................................................101 CHAPTER 6: SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSION ........................................................103 6.1 Intermedial Synthesis............................................................................... 103 6.2 Conclusion ...............................................................................................108 iv APPENDIX A: MOVEMENTS FROM SPORTS ET DIVERTISSEMENT..................... 109 APPENDIX B: DADA PROGRAMS ..............................................................................114 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................116 v LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER 1 1.1 Two examples of Satie’s illustrations......................................................... 10 CHAPTER 2 2.1 Melodic motive, “Le Flirt,” Sports et divertissements, first system ..........25 2.2 Ostinato figure, “Le Flirt,” Sports et divertissements, first system .....................................................................................25 2.3a Transposition/variation on scalar material, “Le Flirt,” Sports et divertissements, first system........................................................... 26 2.3b Transposition/variation on non-melodic material, “Le Flirt,” Sports et divertissements, second system ......................................................26 2.4 Ostinato variation/deterioration, “Le Flirt,” Sports et divertissements, third system ....................................................................................27 2.5a Martin, “Le Bain de mer” (1914)............................................................... 30 2.5b Martin, “Le Bain de mer” (1922)............................................................... 31 2.6a Martin, “Le Flirt” (1914) ...........................................................................32 2.6b Martin, “Le Flirt” (1922) ...........................................................................32 CHAPTER 3 3.1 First violins, “Dance of the Little American Girl,” Parade, mm. 215-218 ..................................................................................44 3.2 Cello, double bass, trombone, and clarinet parts, “Dance of the Little American Girl,” Parade, mm. 219-222 ................................44 3.3 Piano Reduction, “Entrance of the American Girl,” Parade, mm. 199-206 ..................................................................................45 3.4 Piano Reduction, “Entrance of the Chinese conjurer,” Parade, mm. 76-85 ......................................................................................46 3.5 Melodic fragment, “Dance of the Little American Girl,” Parade, mm. 207-210 ..................................................................................47 CHAPTER 4 4.1 Extracted melody, “Overture,” Relâche, mm. 8-16 ...................................57 4.2 Piano reduction, “Overture,” Relâche, mm. 8-16 ......................................59 4.3 Piano reduction, “Overture,” Relâche, measures 24-32............................. 59 4.4 Piano reduction, “Entrée de l’Homme,” Relâche, mm. 1-18 .....................61 4.5 Piano reduction, “Entrée de l’Homme,” Relâche, mm. 26-34 ...................62 4.6 Expanded voice leading, “Les Hommes regagnent leur place et retrouvent leurs pardessus,” Relâche, mm. 9-32............................ 64 vi 4.7 Piano reduction , Cinéma, mm. 169-172 ...................................................68 4.8 Piano reduction , Cinéma, mm. 173-180 ...................................................69 4.9 Chopin, Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 35, Marche funèbre, mm. 1-4............... 69 4.10 Extracted melodic fragments “Marche funèbre,” Relâche......................... 70 4.11 Piano reduction, “March funèbre,” Relâche, mm. 189-212....................... 70 4.12 Ogives No.1, phrases 1-4 (A and B sections) .............................................71 4.13 Satie’s notes for Cinéma: Entr’acte with indications of orchestral scoring ...........................................................................72 4.14 Piano reduction, Cinéma, mm. 293-313 ....................................................73 CHAPTER 5 5.1 Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes, Grand musicien (1920) ...........................81 5.2 Melody and accompaniment, Pas de la chicorée frisée, mm. 11-22 .........84 5.3 Alternating rhythm and repetition, Pas de la chicorée frisée, mm. 23-27 ......................................................................................84 5.4 Melody and accompaniment, Pas de la chicorée frisée, mm. 40-54 .........86 5.5 Chordal