Erik Satie

Erik Satie was a French composer and pianist who had a major influence on 20th-century music, particularly in France. He was known for his unconventional, often witty, and sometimes absurd style. He wrote music for solo piano, such as his famous Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes, as well as for ballets, operas, and films. He also collaborated with artists such as Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, and Serge Diaghilev. He was a pioneer of minimalism, ambient music, and repetitive music. He was also interested in mysticism, esotericism, and satire. He adopted various eccentric personas throughout his life, such as a Rosicrucian initiate, a Dadaist provocateur, and a bourgeois gentleman. He lived in a single small room for most of his adult life, where he collected various objects and papers. He was a heavy drinker and suffered from poor health in his later years. He died of cirrhosis of the liver at the age of 59.