BALANÇOIRE, LA
Created on 29/11/2005Latest update on 01/11/2023
Artist: Erik Satie
Author: Erik Satie
Year: 1910
Second movement from Sports et Divertissements, part of his "période humoristique" (between 1911 and 1914).
Covers:
- 1974:
Richard & Linda Thompson [coda of The Great Valerio]
- 1982:
Madou [as Valerio]
- 1994:
- 1997:
June Tabor [as The Great Valerio]
- 2003:
Barb Jungr [idem]
The Great Valerio is inspired by Le Grand Blondin, a French rope walker who in 1859 walked over the Niagara Falls gorge, not once but some 20 odd times in both directions, balancing high on his tightrope, drawing all the attention. Once again he made it to the other side, but the music sounds sinister, predicting fatality. Valerio's a tragic sublimation of Satie's youngster on a swing or maybe they're one and the same. There's a picture of Charles Blondin in the National Gallery in London and Thompson must have seen it while the master tightroper looks a lot like him.
