Erik Satie ： En habit de cheval Choral

“Choral,” from Satie’s piano-four-hands suite En habit de cheval, is a work to be appreciated less for a songlike melodic character than for the resonance of interwoven chords and its measured progression. Within its concise musical flow, melodies passed between the voices and changes in harmony create delicate shades of color. One of its special attractions is the way the two performers shape a unified sonority while maintaining a quiet sense of tension. In performance, the music should not be hurried, and care should be taken to keep the sound from becoming blurred by the pedal. Melodic lines, including those in the inner voices, should be brought out with care. Rather than exaggerating the dynamics, preserving the weight and spaciousness within the simple writing allows the work’s quiet character to emerge.