Noctave
The piece
Satie dated this piece 1890; the Rouart, Lerolle et Cie edition of 1913, dedicated to Roland-Manuel, groups it with the next two Gnossiennes. The score has no bar lines and no time signature, and its markings are riddles: "Très luisant" (very shiny), "Questionnez" (question), "Du bout de la pensée" (from the tip of thought), "Postulez en vous-même" (postulate within yourself). Noctave shows the bars of the engraving as dotted lines, one per return of the left hand, so you can find your way without betraying the original.
The left hand repeats one gesture, a deep bass then a chord in the middle: let your arm carry the leap and keep the chord softer than the bass. The right hand sings a strange line with eastern-sounding intervals and many grace notes that slip in just before the main note. The tempo is Lent (slow): take time to hear each sound fade, and set the pedal so the harmonies do not blur.