# Satie's Vexations - Did he really mean it to be repeated 840 times?



## Whistler Fred (Feb 6, 2014)

The manuscript score of Satie's Vexations contains the following:

"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" ("In order to play the theme 840 times in succession, it would be advisable to prepare oneself beforehand, and in the deepest silence, by serious immobilities").

Some have taken this to mean that the piece should be repeated 840 times, notably John Cage, who got a team of pianists together in a concert that lasted about 18 hours. I also have a recording of Vexations that has 42 repetitions on one CD, with the suggestion that, to realize the composer's intention, you can set the disk to repeat 20 times.

But even if we are to take Satie seriously, notwithstanding his knack for throwing humorous or ironic comments in his music scores, did he really say that there should be all of these repetitions? It seems to me that this isn’t exactly what Satie is saying, at least in the English translation. I think he suggesting what you should do if you want, for some masochistic reason, to play this 840 times. Perhaps there is more hinted in the French (I'm not familiar with the language and may be missing a nuance that wouldn’t be as apparent in English). 

I personally think he was spoofing, as Satie often did, Wagerian pretentions to huge, lengthy musical productions. At any rate, since this little (or huge) piece was never published in Satie’s lifetime, the comment, and perhaps the music as well, could have been meant as an inside joke, perhaps to himself.

At any rate, I’m happy with about three of four repetitions of this ethereal work. 

Any thoughts?


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

I have been at a performance of it in London, in the greenhouse of the Barbican Centre, part of some party happening there about 10 years ago. Different pianists participated each one playing for about 20 minutes. I think they did complete it.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Whistler Fred said:


> Any thoughts?


there's a mistake: he didn't meant 840 times but 840000. So I think that to correct the error they should play and listen to it as Satie conceived it. Too bad John Cage is already dead, it would had be great to see him finally listening the work in his original form.


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## Berlioznestpasmort (Jan 24, 2014)

I recommend changing your trans. of Satie's instructions from 'immobilities' to stillness - or stillnesses (is his plural of what is normally a collective noun a link with the repetition that is to come? Perhaps). Satie is ever playful, and that phrase might also be taken idiomatically to suggest a look on the pianist's face akin to "serious, fixed determination" (in heightened and comedic contrast perhaps with the silliness to come). Satie would have reveled in that ambiguity. With some exceptions, _Socrate _is the best example, I don't think you _can_ take Satie seriously; one must take his playfulness seriously which is a different approach and the one I think he wanted us to take (though he'd quickly disavow it , of course!).


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## Guest (Feb 18, 2014)

I'm with Whistler Fred and Berlioz'ain'tdead on this, _viz_, Satie shouldn't be taken too literally and that 'immobilités' is rendered better as 'stillness'. I mean, however competent a pianist you may be, how do you handle this instruction: 
_Comme un rossignol qui aurait mal aux dents_ (Like a nightingale with a toothache)?


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

He probably couldn't have imagined that anyone would actually do it (much less record it and post it on Youtube for the world to view at leisure) but would probably be amused to no end to find out that people have.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Whistler Fred said:


> The manuscript score of Satie's Vexations contains the following:
> 
> "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" ("In order to play the theme 840 times in succession, it would be advisable to prepare oneself beforehand, and in the deepest silence, by serious immobilities").
> 
> ...


Just three or four repetitions wouldn't be at all vexing, do you think? After all, you said you would be 'happy' with just three or four repetitions, and the point, regardless of the exact number of repeats adding up to so many hours, is to be really communicative of something very vexing, i.e. frustrating to the point of annoying, perhaps even maddening.

When you have such a dada-ist sense of humor in the music and the titles,_ "preludes to a flabby dog," "dried (dessicated) embryos,"_ and a composer who said something about having looked at a B-flat under a microscope and having found it frighteningly ugly... well, that means you are fundamentally on your own


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## Whistler Fred (Feb 6, 2014)

PetrB said:


> Just three or four repetitions wouldn't be at all vexing, do you think? After all, you said you would be 'happy' with just three or four repetitions, and the point, regardless of the exact number of repeats adding up to so many hours, is to be really communicative of something very vexing, i.e. frustrating to the point of annoying, perhaps even maddening.
> 
> When you have such a dada-ist sense of humor in the music and the titles,_ "preludes to a flabby dog," "dried (dessicated) embryos,"_ and a composer who said something about having looked at a B-flat under a microscope and having found it frighteningly ugly... well, that means you are fundamentally on your own


Good point! 

This made me think of Tom Johnson's "Failing, A Very Difficult Piece for Solo String Bass," both because it also lives up to its title and has a degree of dada-esque humor. For the interested, here's a You-Tube link:


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