Erik Satie: "Gnossienne No.1 (flute & guitar)

Описание: Satie's originality is seen both in his music and his imaginative interpretative directions. In this piece they are: 'Very glowing'/ 'Questioning'/'From the end of the thought'/ and 'Upon the tongue'. Satie may have developed the idea from Rossini who towards the end of his life composed a box of musical bonbons for piano solo, called: 'Pêchés de Vieillesse'. He called one 'Miscarriage of a Polish Mazurka' and another 'Hygienic Prelude for Morning Use'. The player must do what he can with these enigmatic directions.
Alfred Eric Leslie Satie was born in Honfleur in 1866 and died in Paris in 1925. His French father and Scottish mother were both composers. After studying for a year at the Paris Conservatoire, he played in cabarets before spending 3 years with Schola Cantorum, a largely religious-based school founded by d'Indy and others. He adopted a defiantly modernistic style and attached whimsical titles to his compositions.
Both Debussy and Ravel encouraged him (Debussy by orchestrating the first and third 'Gymnopédie') and in the 1920's he helped found, along with Cocteau, 'le Groupe des Six', which included Honegger, Milhaud and Poulenc.
Through Picasso he got to know Braque with whom he shared several projects. Following the break-up of his relationship with the painter, Suzanne Valadon (the mother of Maurice Utrillo), he composed his "Vexations" -a short melody to be played 840 times after a period of silent preparation. The work lasts about 20 hours and has been performed by John Cage, Thomas Bloch and others.
Satie died alone and in dire poverty, with his collection of umbrellas and his 7 identical mustard coloured velvet suits.

(Having a French father and Scottish father, Satie today might have been perplexed by Brexit and the ruthless deceptions that those self-serving politicos responsible for our well-being practised on us when pushing us into so terrible a trap. No question that the cultural divide between our nations is far narrower than the post Brexit politico-philosophical abyss, with all its bitterness and bickering...).


WHAT HAS THE U.K. LOST BY LEAVING ERASMUS+?

("Erasmus" is an acronym for European Region Action Scheme )

Following Brexit, withdrawing from Erasmus+ has already had negative consequences for students, young professionals, scholars, and universities in the U.K.. The cultural and intellectual consequences of the decision are obvious. Thousands of students can no longer experience other cultures, learn to communicate in other languages, or strengthen their sense of European identity through Erasmus+.
Many Erasmus+ alumni regard the experience as one of the most formative in their lives, having led to career changes, relocation, and even marriages. These opportunities are no longer available to many in the U.K., particularly those that already come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The loss of the program also severs key partnerships between European and British researchers and universities, limiting intellectual collaboration across the channel. The consequences of the decision for career growth also are significant.

According to the latest Erasmus+ annual report, the program has been successful in many ways:

*In 2019 alone, almost 1 million young people participated in the program as students, trainees (largely for vocational training) or volunteered at more than 100,000 organizations.

*Employers regarded Erasmus+ exchange participants as better equipped to enter the workforce.

*Over two-thirds of students report had a better sense of their long-term career goals after profiting from study abroad through Erasmus+.