Gymnopedie No. 1 for Horn Quartet

Enigmatic and highly influential composer Erik Satie wrote over three dozen piano works between 1884 and 1920. Some pieces were outlandish such as his Vexations which repeats 840 times and lasts up to 35 hours, and other pieces were simple with absurd titles like his Three Pieces in the Form of a Pear. Perhaps his best-known piece is his first Gymnopidie for piano that was completed in 1888. The piece consists of a simple accompaniment with a long soaring melody above it. The melody is instantly recognizable and was featured in films including My Dinner with Andre, and The Royal Tenenbaums; video games; and on albums by Blood Sweat & Tears, and Gary Numan. It is also found on most Top-50 lists of All-Time Classical Music Favorites. Satie also wrote two additional Gymnopidie with the collection of all three first published in 1898. Claude Debussy famously orchestrated two of them in 1898. The long soaring melody and calm mood of this piece works beautifully for horn quartet. Each member gets the melody for an enjoyable performance. This piece is ideal for weddings, worship services, funerals, and any recital.