Not surprisingly, Satie was a member of the Communist Party and active in the Dada movement, two strands of thought that his work exemplify. The latter is of rebellion and revolution. Satie was conscious and intentional with his actions. His work acts as a question that prods at the social and musical establishment. This revolutionary tone resonates throughout history and continues to spark debates. What is the use of music? Who should listen to music? What type of music is superior and which is lesser? Also similar to Communist ideology was Satie's sense of utilitarianism in his music. It has a purpose and it executes that purpose: to play unassumingly, relegated to the background. Elements of disillusion, surrealism, chaos, and disorder recall a pivotal art movement of which Satie was a part of, the Dada movement ...
Satie coined the term "furniture music" in 1920 when he began writing journalistic pieces and two festivals performed his music. He debuted Musique d'ameublement at the Galerie Barbazanges with Darius Milhaud, a French composer who was a member of the famed Les Six. Practically, this music served as background music. Philosophically, this music refuted traditional notions of music held by the Common Practice Era. It was not meant to be analyzed, let alone actively listened to, a concept that was revolutionary, even rebellious, at the dawn of the twentieth century. This music differed from the aesthetics of composers ranging from Mozart to even his contemporary Debussy.
It is notable for going unnoticed.
MUSIQUE D'AMEUBLEMENT /// FURNITURE MUSIC
