Erik Satie: Vexations

Taka Kigawa is one of the twenty pianists who will perform Erik Satie's Vexations in its entirety on September 26 at 7pm through September 27 at 2pm at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

On the occasion of Mystical Symbolism: The Salon de la Rose+Croix in Paris, 1892–1897, the Guggenheim presents a durational concert featuring Erik Satie’s Vexations (1893). Satie composed this score on the heels of ending his involvement with the Salon de la Rose+Croix. It is unknown whether Satie intended for the work to be played or if it was simply a sort of jest directed at the esoteric excesses of Joséphin Péladan, the founder of the Salon. The piece attracted the attention of composer John Cage, who first staged it in a 1963 New York performance that featured contemporary musicians John Cale, James Tenney, David Tudor, and Christian Wolff, among others. Observing one of Satie’s instructions literally, the score was repeated 840 times, lasting for almost 19 hours in an unprecedented serial undertaking that echoed the Minimalist and Conceptual concerns of the 1960s. More than 50 years later, the Guggenheim will present this iconic durational performance to a New York audience.

The Guggenheim presentation will feature a roster of established and emerging pianists from both classical and avant-garde spheres.

Performers include: Timo Andres, Geoffrey Burleson, Vicky Chow, Philip Corner, Sylvie Courvoisier, Gaspard Dehaene, David Del Tredici, Erika Dohi, Sarah Dutcher, Matthew Goodheart, Zalman Kelber, Taka Kigawa, Karl Larson, Blair McMillen, Anne Queffélec, Joshua Rifkin, Margaret Leng Tan, Christian Wolff

Taka Kigawa will appear three times on Wednesday, September 27th: 7am-7:20am; 8am-8:20am; 9am-9:20am. (Schedules subject to change.)

For tickets and more information: Erik Satie "Vexations" September 26 and 27 Guggenheim Museum