Commentary

Three Pieces in the Shape of a Pear of Erik Satie is one of his most emblematic works, and one of the most appreciated by the public. But an obstacle raised itself to reach more widely the latter: the instrumental formation of these pieces, namely the piano four hands. Certainly "there are few musics for four hands which give to the performers a bigger satisfaction" (P.-D. Templier). But this formation does not facilitate the execution of these pieces, work at two pianists being naturally more difficult so much for the organization than for the performance, the music of Satie remaining a music of intimacy: "the solitary listening suited quite particularly to a composer as Satie, who, rather than to aim at the undifferentiated public of concerts, had always addressed, in a way, to one listener at a time" (O. Volta). To give the pianist the pleasure of playing these "exquisite music" (D. Milhaud) for himself and, paradoxically, allow optimal viewing, it seemed interesting to propose a two hands piano reduction, an unpublished arrangement since the first edition from 1911.