Enfantines, piano songs for children by Erik Satie

Schumann was not the only composer to create songs for children! Inspired by his Album for the Young, numerous composers across the world began in earnest, writing delightful etudes for children. French composer and pianist, Erik Satie (1866-1925) was a prominent member of Les Six - a group of notable French artists living in Montparnasse, who spirited a neoclassical music movement following Wagner’s death amidst the rise of impressionism. He may be best regarded for Parade (1917), his ballet with Sergei Diagheliv. Satie’s playful energy in sparse, experimental melodies and absurdist titles with detailed instructions were well suited for the transition to children’s music. From 1908-1910 Satie provided music lessons and supervised outings for a local orphanage in Arcueil. Enfantines (October, 1913) were written as a three-set progression of etudes for children to progress in rhythmic difficulty and denser harmonies. Each set is based on a white key five finger pattern for children to build motor skills. Many pieces also use popular music mediums like marches and waltzes for a light air. Inscribed in the music are small introductions, either little anecdotes (like Petit prélude à la journée - brush hair, wake up, go for a walk) or short humorous stories. For example, in Marche du grand escalier, the king erects a 1,000 foot staircase, but never uses it and jumps out the window to avoid sullying the masterpiece. Pierre-Daniel Templier described his creative ingenuity not "about children, or for children, but of a child." If you are looking for piano pieces your child might enjoy, pieces for yourself to learn piano, or to delve deeper in Satie’s repertoire, Enfantines is a notable work of study.

Menus propos enfantins (Childish Small Talk) - Level 1 (dedicated to artist and future collaborator of Parade, Valentine Gross)

• 1. Le chant guerrier du roi des haricots (The Warrior Song of the King of Beans)
• 2. Ce que dit la petite princesse des tulipes (What the Little Princess of Tulips Said)
• 3. V alse du chocolat aux amandes (Chocolate Waltz with Almonds)

Enfantillages pittoresques (Picturesque Child's Play) - Level 2 (dedicated to Madame Leon Verneuil)

• 1. Petit prélude à la journée (Little Prelude to the Day)
• 2. Berceuse (Lullaby)
• 3. Marche du grand escalier (March of the Grand Staircase)

Peccadilles importunes (Tiresome Pranks) - Level 3 (dedicated to piano virtuoso, Mauguritte Long)

• 1. Être jaloux de son camarade qui a une grosse tête (Being jealous of a friend who has a big head)
• 2. Lui manger sa tartine (Eating up his bread and jam)
• 3. Profiter de ce qu'il a des cors aux pieds pour lui prendre son cerceau (Taking advantage of his corns to steal his hoop)

Pierre-Daniel Templier, Erik Satie (MIT Press, 1969), 85. Translated from the original French edition published by Rieder, Paris, 1932