Trois Gymnopédies

French composer and pianist Erik Satie  was a colourful figure in the early 20th century Parisian avant-garde. His work was a precursor to later artistic movements such as minimalism, repetitivemusic, and the Theatre of the Absurd. An eccentric,  Satie  was introduced as a 'gymnopedist' in 1887, shortly before writing his most famous compositions, the Trois Gymnopédies . The three short, atmospheric pieces in ¾ time are now published as part of the Promenade Series of Piano Music (No. 40). Collectively, the  Gymnopédies  are regarded as animportantprecursor to modern ambient music gentle yet somewhat eccentric pieces which, when composed, defied the classical tradition.