1165th House Concert, July Festival: Lecture 2. Satie & Les Six

[PROGRAM] What composers existed between Debussy and Messiaen? Between Claude Debussy, recognized as the pioneer of 19th-century Impressionist composition, and Olivier Messiaen, called a master of 20th-century contemporary music, there seems to be a kind of 'blank space' in French music. However, taking just one step into this gap reveals not a barren wasteland, but a magnificent garden of music. Composers such as Erik Satie and those commonly called the 'French Six (Les Six)'—Francis Poulenc, Arthur Honegger, and Darius Milhaud—existed during this period. While Satie is easily understood merely as the composer of piano pieces like 'Gymnopédie,' beloved in films and advertisements, because he deliberately stepped away from mainstream conventions, he is being re-evaluated in modern times as a maverick and innovator of the avant-garde. Though the 'French Six' possessed diverse musical colors, they shared a common consciousness about French music in the era after Wagner and Debussy. This is a time to examine the lives and music of these essential composers who form the stepping stones between Debussy and Messiaen. It will offer an opportunity to view European art after World War I from a fresh perspective. *The program will include a lecture, talk with performers, and musical performances. *A wine party will follow the lecture. Erik Satie (1866-1925) -Sonneries de la rose + croix -Le fils des étoiles -Gnossiennes No.6 -Pièces froides — Son Il-hoon (Piano) Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) Sonata for Oboe and Piano, FP185 1. Élégie 2. Scherzo 3. Déploration