There's not a piece of classical music I like..

Merlin5 · 8 Dec 2018 at 04:44

..more than this. I heard it in my car on Classic FM tonight whilst scrolling through radio stations, recognised it but never knew what it was called or who it's composed by. Erik Satie - Gymnopédie No.1. You'll know it right away when you hear it. Absolutely sublime. Apparently it's regarded as an important precursor to modern ambient music.

Here's four versions of it I really like, one with just piano, probably the one most people know, and three with orchestras.

Solo piano

Strings are lush as lush on this.

The lead violin on this is awesome.

The female vocal here is eargasmic.

Which is your favourite version?
I'm sure there was a TV programme that used to have the piano version as a theme. Or maybe I'm thinking of a movie. Can anyone recall where they've heard it?

Merlin5 · 11 Dec 2018 at 01:04

Some very nice pieces guys.
Moonlight Sonata, yes, good choice. Lovely piece.
Very cool that Gary Numan did Gymnopedie. Who knew?
Something just occurred to me while listening to a famous Bach composition. Does anyone else here think that Whiter Shade of Pale Air sounds like it was paying homage to Air on the G String? I think there's something of a resemblance in the opening 2 bars of WSOP and the opening 3 bars of AOTGS.

Merlin5 · 12 Dec 2018 at 20:05

Bluecube said:
Apparently the Procul Harem guitarist was mucking about trying to pick out Air on a G String. He didn't get it quite right but it laid the foundation for the intro to Whiter Shade of Pale.

Aha, interesting, just as I suspected.

Merlin5 · 13 Dec 2018 at 05:05

Merlin5 · 16 Dec 2018 at 08:16

Cool, yeah I remember Sky very well.

I never knew they also did a version of it.

I've had another revelation. Does anyone think that the composer of the theme to the game Zelda Ocarina Of Time might have been inspired by Gymnopedie? It's in 4/4 and Gymnopedie is in 3, but the general vibe to my ears is very similar, particularly when you hear the bass notes that alternate under the main melodies on beat 1 of each bar on both pieces of music. I think there's an uncanny resemblance.