Appreciating Satie’s Mysticism

Satie has always been considered an anomaly, and it has been notoriously difficult for many to assign him a place in music history. Was Satie a humourist who repurposed whimsical cabaret techniques for the purpose of composing “serious music”? Was he a third-rate composer who shoved his way into the musical canon through his cynical humour? Or was Satie perhaps a martyr for true art, who sacrificed public acclaim and a comfortable life in order to pursue his own creative whimsy and unique artistic vision? Of particular difficulty has been the activity of trying to reconcile Satie the “humourist” with what has been called Satie the “mystic”. It has often been difficult for many taking part in the discussion on Satie to discern whether the often reticent composer was composing his so-called “mystical works” in earnest, or simply testing out a musical joke. Many commentators even demonstrate a hesitancy in taking Satie's oeuvre too seriously, possibly out of fear of learning they have been duped by the old jokester.