Beautiful and minimal piano piece, composed in 1888 by Erik Satie and remained in obscurity until the 1960s when it was rediscovered by the composer John Case. The word "gymnopedie" is defined in the dictionary as "nude dance, accompanied by song, which youthful Spartan maidens danced on specific occasions", such being the ancient olympics. However, as the music does not evoke images or feelings of the festival, it is possible that the name was probably a droll reference to Satie's gentle, dreamy and far-from strenuous piano exercises.
Through this work, Satie was the first composer to sow the seeds of the contemporary ambient and minimalistic music. "Gymnopedie No 1" did not have a story behind it and did not develop any melody. It was a rather simple music, with gentle harmonies, slow rhythms and a kind of stillness which created space for reflection. This kind of music was not highly regarded in the late romantic period, so the piece remained in obscurity until 20 years later when its rediscovery opened the path towards ambient music.
The piece creates a melancholic atmosphere from the beginning, but it also creates a sense of musical essence: music is simple and clear, no note is irrelevant, nothing is rushed and it’s almost impossible to hear the music and not feel relaxed afterwards. It is like feeling the essence of things around you.