I just started to learn Erik Satie’s “Sonatine bureaucratique” after working through a bunch of somewhat boring minuets and other small pieces in the past weeks. I decided to try this one because it’s funny, not too long and because it would be a step up from playing meaningless small pieces all the time that don’t feel that rewarding. The piece, by making use of annotations, ironically describes moments in the day of a bureaucrat who for example is daydreaming about a raise and a new appartment. It also incorporates well known motives from the amateur piano repertoire of the 18th and 19th century, which underscore a certain dullness and antiquatedness of early 20th century bourgeois life.

However, I’m not sure if I underestimated the piece a bit and how much time it will take me to actually learn it. Most of the techniques required are not that hard and the minuets, some of which Satie ironically quotes, have prepared me quite well for it. But I do have some problems with certain jumps and with the rapid chord changes in some sections. So I’m excited to see if I can actually do it.

For those interested, here’s a link to a particular fast interpretation of the piece with score: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kME63-dByPQ

So what are you currently playing or working on?

  • Babs [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
    4·
    11 months ago

    I played bass a lot as a teenager and I’ve been trying to pick it up again recently. It’s very frustrating because I still remember everything I knew back then, but now my fingers are slow and clumsy and get tired and ouchy after short practices. I really need to build back my finger strength.

    I’ve also thought about getting back into cello - I played as a kid and into college, but trying to major in music sucked all the fun out of it. Might be enjoyable again as an adult, but cellos are so expensive and I don’t even know where to start in buying one.