Erik Satie knew his way around not just the piano but the camÂera as well. This is eviÂdenced by the image above, a 1911 porÂtrait of Claude Debussy and Igor StravinÂsky. Described by Christie’s as “an outÂstandÂing phoÂtoÂgraph of the two comÂposers in the library at Debussy’s home,” it was takÂen by Satie at the time when Serge Diaghilev’s BalÂlets RussÂes were perÂformÂing Debussy’s Jeux and StravinÂsky’s The Rite of Spring. In the backÂground appears what looks like KatÂsushiÂka HokuÂsai’s The Great Wave Off KanaÂgawa, a work of art “used by Debussy on the front covÂer of the first ediÂtion of his symÂphonÂic sketchÂes La mer.”
Just above appears anothÂer picÂture capÂtured in Debussy’s home, this one of Debussy and Satie. “The phoÂto was takÂen by StravinÂsky, if my memÂoÂry didÂn’t go wrong,” says one comÂmenter on the r/classicalmusic subÂredÂdit. AnothÂer expressÂes conÂfuÂsion about the subÂjects themÂselves: “I thought they didÂn’t like each othÂer?”
One responÂder explains that “they were friends at first, for quite some time, but latÂer their relaÂtionÂship got worse.” Debussy’s orchesÂtraÂtion of Satie’s GymnoÂpeÂdies brought those pieces to promiÂnence, but, Satie ultiÂmateÂly came to feel that Debussy had been stingy with the fruits of his great sucÂcess.
Or so, at any rate, goes one interÂpreÂtaÂtion of the disÂsoÂluÂtion of Debussy and Satie’s friendÂship. DifÂferÂent RedÂdiÂtors conÂtribute difÂferÂent details: one that “every time they met, Satie would praise RavÂel’s music to annoy Debussy,” anothÂer that “Debussy kept a botÂtle of the cheapÂest table wine for Satie for when he came over.” It can hardÂly have been easy, even in the best of times, for two of the strongest innoÂvaÂtors in earÂly-twenÂtiÂeth-cenÂtuÂry music to occuÂpy the same social space for long stretchÂes of time, let alone in comÂpaÂny that includÂed the likes of RavÂel and StravinÂsky. More than a cenÂtuÂry latÂer, their artisÂtic legaÂcies could hardÂly be more assured — as, one faintÂly sensÂes when lookÂing at these phoÂtos, they knew would be the case.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
Hear Debussy Play Debussy’s Most Famous Piece, “Clair de lune” (1913)
Hear the Very First Pieces of AmbiÂent Music, Erik Satie’s FurÂniÂture Music (CirÂca 1917)
The Night When CharÂlie ParkÂer Played for Igor StravinÂsky (1951)
Based in Seoul, ColÂin MarÂshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall, on FaceÂbook, or on InstaÂgram.
I realÂly enjoyed this open winÂdow that brings the past alive — seeÂing Claude Debussy the man “chez lui,” a genius for the ages livÂing his day-to-day life. Thank you for postÂing.
If the phoÂto is accuÂrateÂly datÂed to 1911 that would be two years before the preÂmieres (in May 1913) of Jeux at TheÂatre des Champs ElysĂ©es and Rite of Spring two weeks latÂer on May 29, 1913. Debussy began comÂposÂing Jeux in August 1912.
As CarÂlos corÂrectÂly points out, at the moment this phoÂto is datÂed (1911), StravinÂsky had not yet comÂpletÂed the Rite: he would do so only in earÂly 1912, in time for the origÂiÂnal proÂgramÂming date in the spring of that year for the BalÂlet RussÂes. The preÂmiere, howÂevÂer, was postÂponed to the spring of 1913. In this phoÂto, we see StravinÂsky in the periÂod of the PetrouchÂka triÂumph.