Satie: Sports et Divertissements 8. Le Yachting - wind quintet by Erik Satie Woodwind Quintet - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.1289652

Sports et divertissements (Sports and Pastimes) is a cycle of 21 short piano pieces composed in 1914 by Erik Satie.

The set consists of a prefatory chorale and 20 musical vignettes depicting various sports and leisure activities. First published in 1923, it has long been considered one of his finest achievements.

Musically it represents the peak of Satie's humoristic piano suites (1912-1915), but stands apart from that series in its fusion of several different art forms. Sports originally appeared as a collector's album with illustrations by Charles Martin, accompanied by music, prose poetry and calligraphy. The latter three were provided by Satie in his exquisite handwritten scores, which were printed in facsimile.

This is my arrangement for wind quintet of:
8. Le Yachting (Yachting) -
Modéré (Moderately.)

(In half-notes, bass octaves). Legato.

Satie's prose:

Quel temps !
Le vent souffle comme un phoque.
Le yacht danse.
Il a l'air d'un petit fou.
La mer est démontée.
Pourvu qu'elle ne se brise pas sur un rocher.
Personne ne peut la remonter.
"Je ne veux pas rester ici," dit la jolie passagère.
"Ce n'est pas un endroit amusant.
J'aime mieux autre chose.
Allez me chercher une voiture."


A stern ostinato in the lower reaches of the piano summons up a wind-blown sea as it tosses about members of a yachting party.

A "pretty lady passenger" is not amused by the rough weather. "I'd rather do something else," she pouts.

"Go fetch me a car."

The sea ostinato returns to end the piece.

Arranged standard wind quintet

Check out my other Satie arrangements

3 Gymnopédies and 3 Gnossiennes. ( sold separately and as collections).

Also: Rag-Time du Pacquebot (Ragtime of the Steampacket) and Sonatina Bureaucratique.