Erik Satie ~1919~ Nocturne n°3

Composed between August and December 1919, these began as a set of three nocturnes in D major, with no.1 originally titled "Faux-nocturne" and still carrying a story about an "old Will-o&who troubles the tranquil nocturnal landscape. Satie, consciously making a new, serious start after Debussy&death, withdrew the commentary before publication. But he did add the metronome markings. As he finished no.3 he told Valentine Hugo (née Gross) that "the first serves as a prelude; the second is shorter and very tender – very nocturnal ; the third... is more rapid and dramatic nocturne. They form a whole with which I am very pleased". Nocturnes 4 and 5 are in contrasting keys, with the alternatively calm and powerful no.6 returning (at the last moment) to D major of nos.1-3. No.4 has to be one of Satie&most beautiful pieces, floating and detached, with its intriguing ambiguity between B and F# minor and its disturbing short middle section. Source : Robert Orledge pf: Jean-Yves Thibaudet