Home > Embryons desséchés

The composition has three parts:

• (Dessicated embryo) of a Holothuroidean (30 june 1913), dedicated to Suzanne Roux:
  • See: sea cucumber. Note that this type of animal has no eyes.
  • The music of this first part of the composition concentrates on the so-called "purring" of the holothuroidea.
• (Dessicated embryo) of a Edriophthalma (1 july 1913), dedicated to Edouard Dreyfus:
  • Edriophthalmata, also known as Arthrostraca , are crustaceans with immobile eyes. In more modern taxonomies they belong to sub-groups of the Tetradecapoda (i.e. fourteen-legged crustaceans), e.g. Amphipoda (several kinds of usually small shrimp), and isopoda (see e.g. this giant isopod or these woodlice).
  • It is not clear whether Satie had in mind any of these animals in particular, or that he just wanted to make reference to this group of crustaceans in general, for their "underdog"-like qualities (which he describes as subdue and morose in the score). Anyway, in this part of the composition he makes fun of Frederic Chopin's funeral march.
• (Dessicated embryo) of a Podophthalma (4 july 1913), dedicated to Jane Mortier:
  • Podophthalmia are stalk-eyed crustaceans, like crabs and lobsterClawed lobsters comprise a family Nephropidae of large marine crustaceans. Smaller varieties are sometimes called "lobsterettes". Lobsters are invertebrates, and have a tough exoskeleton, which protects them. Like all arthropods, lobsters must molt in ords (and various types of mostly larger shrimp), now grouped as DecapodaEither suborders Natantia Reptantia or suborders Dendrobranchiata Pleocyemata The decapods or Decapoda are a group of crustaceans within the class Malacostraca. They are usually considered to constitute an order, though some authorities may regard them as (i.e. ten-legged crustaceans).
  • In the score, Satie mentions the "hunter"-like qualities of podophthalmia, so the music is conceived as a miniature hunt. Note that hunts have quite a tradition in classical music, from early baroque keyboard music, over Vivaldi, several classical eraThe Classical period in Western music occurred in the second half of the 18th century. Although the term classical music is used as a blanket term meaning all kinds of music in a certain tradition, it can also occasionally mean this particular era within composers and romantic opera composers to César FranckCesar-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck ( December 10, 1822 November 8, 1890) was a composer and organist. Franck was born in Liege. His father had ambitions for him to become a concert pianist, and he studied at the conservatoire in Liege before going. Nonetheless, in music a hunting sea animal can be considered a one-of-a-kind.
  • Satie also points out that podophthalmia are delicious nourriture: he was particularily fond of this kind of sea-food himself.

Both Edriophthalmata and Podophthalmia are now classified in the MalacostracaNot necessarily a complete list Leptostraca Stomatopoda Bathynellacea Thermosbaenacea Mysidacea Cumacea Amphipoda Isopoda Tanaidacea Euphausiacea Amphionidacea Decapoda Peracarida The Malacostraca are the largest subgroup of crustaceans, and include most class of the Crustacea subphylumIn biology, a subphylum is a taxonomic grade intermediate between phylum and superclass. Scientific classification. of the Arthropoda phylum. The use of the terms Edriophthalmata and Podophthalmia has however become obsolete in the taxonomy of crustaceans. Nonetheless, none of the the animals described by Satie in his embryons desséchés were invented by him: in fact his descriptions can be considered as fairly accurate.