(1866-1925) was a French composer and pianist, He was born in
Honfleur, which lies on the Seine estuary on the Normandy coast. His family
moved to Paris when he was 4, then he moved between Honfleur and Paris several
times in his life. Satie was introduced as a gymnopedist in 1887, shortly before writing his
most famous compositions, the Gymnop�dies. Later, he also called
himself a phonometrician, meaning someone who
measures sounds, preferring this designation to that of musician. Clearly,
he was a great eccentric. He did not fit into the contemporary mainstream
musical establishment, which was firmly romantic under the influence of Saint-Saens.
Instead, he moved in and out of various avant-garde, or odd circles of acquaintances,
and was determined never to appear conventional in any way.
As well as composing, Satie also wrote a great deal, contributing
to many publications, and he was a colourful figure in the early 20th century Parisian avant-garde. He was a precursor
to later artistic movements such as minimalism, repetitive music and the Theatre of the