Vexations
Eric Satie 840 times this was performed by John Cale
The repetitive nature of the piece raises fundamental aesthetic questions, in particular about the function of boredom in art. “Boredom was mysterious and profound” for Satie.2 But it was also an effective way of mystifying and irritating the bourgeoisie, as Satie suggests in Sports et Divertissements [1914], which opens with a Chorale into which “I have put all I know about Boredom. I dedicate it to those who don’t like me.”
Ex. 1 The score of; Vexations
Pour se jouer 840 fois de suite ce motif, il sera bon de se préparer au préalable, et dans le plus grand silence, par des immobilités sérieuses
Posted on February 19th, 2008
Filed under: Non work
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