Avant-Dernières Penseés

Three more miniatures of pure Satie — his penultimate piano set, now for wind quintet.

Composed in 1915, Avant-Dernières Pensées ("Penultimate Thoughts") is one of Satie's most characteristic late works: three brief movements built on experimental harmonies, strangely static rhythms, and radically compressed forms — all delivered with his signature dry wit. Steven Paxton's transcription for wind quintet (flute/piccolo, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon) captures that voice faithfully, distributing Satie's spare textures across five players without losing any of the original's peculiar charm.

• Three compact movements — each a gem of Satie's late style
• Experimental harmonies and minimalist forms that reward careful listening
• A natural companion piece to Les Trois Valses for programming variety
• Idiomatic writing for standard wind quintet instrumentation

Composer: Erik Satie (1915)
Arranger: Steven Paxton
Instrumentation: Flute/Piccolo, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon
Format: Digital download — score and parts included