Gnossienne no. 4

Satie’s Gnossienne series of piano pieces, like his Gymnopedie, are reflective and deceptively simple. The bulk of Gnossienne no. 4 consists of short phrases of descending scale passages interspersed with repetitive semi-quaver ones over undulating quavers in the piano. Beginning in D minor, with just one major chord in the whole piece, the subtle, slow-moving harmonies convey a sense of Eastern cultures.

The arranged violin part is an exact transcription of the righthand line of the original, but Moraru’s accompaniment is more florid that the original left-hand part, disturbing, perhaps even negating, the stillness of the original. Moraru extends the piece by repeating another twenty or so bars. Allowing for a range of expression and interpretation, this would be an atmospheric and unusual encore to a recital, especially one of music by French composers.