In 1887 when he was 21, and before before his famous Gymnopodies and Gnossiennes had been completed, Erik Satie composed this first Sarabande as one of three he wrote for piano. At the time he was an impoverished conservatory dropout making his living as a piano player in bohemian taverns and cabarets like Le Chat Noir. The Sarabandes were not published until 1911 with the support of Ravel who also introduced and performed the second Sarabande in concert in 1911. Satie's sometime friend Debussy wrote orchestral arrangements of the piano Gymnopodies in 1897 and conducted them to Satie's great acclaim in 1911 in Paris. Here Berkeley composer Guillaume Pearson has written a lovely orchestral arrangement to accompany my two guitar version of Satie's 1st Sarabande. Hope you enjoy the quiet mystery and captivating harmony that attracted me.

listen to more of Guillaume's beautiful soundtracks here:
https://soundcloud.com/guillaumelecompositeur/tracks

cover artwork Matisse La Musique

Erik Satie 1st Sarabande

original piano version written by hitoshi yasui of chairhouse, guitar arrangement by naldo, orchestration by guillaume pearson.

as always, special thanks to hitoshi for his daily musical beauty and for helping us to adapt this song. his luminous piano version from june 12, 2020 is here:
https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/i-looked-beyond-2372-by-chair-house-06122020

more of guillaume's songs & cinematic orchestrations:
https://soundcloud.com/guillaumelecompositeur/tracks

cover art: Alexander Brook, portrait of Peggy Bacon & black cat

I Looked Beyond

A cello elegy dedicated to the great San Francisco photographer Fred Lyon who passed away yesterday, August 26, 2022 at the age of 95.

you can see his work here:
https://www.fredlyon.com/about

cover photo: Castle Street night view of Coit Tower, San Francisco, 1947 by Fred Lyon

Elegy for Fred

flipper disco, apologies to herbie, synth sax & horns by Guillaume Pearson

Dolphin Disco

Goodbye Porkpie Hat

Joyeux Anniversaire. Erik Satie was born on this date May 17 in 1866.

In 1887 when he was 21, and before his famous Gymnopodies and Gnossiennes had been completed, Erik Satie composed this third Sarabande as one of three he wrote for piano. At the time he was an impoverished conservatory dropout making his living as a piano player in bohemian taverns and cabarets like Le Chat Noir. The Sarabandes were not published until 1911 with the support of Ravel who also introduced and performed the second Sarabande in concert in 1911. Here i've arranged the third Sarabande for 2 guitars doubled. Hope you enjoy the mystery and captivating harmony that attracted me to it.

Erik Satie Third Sarabande

The Pièces froides are two sets of piano pieces composed in March 1897 by Erik Satie. Unpublished until 1912 when Ravel played them publicly, they marked Satie's break from the mystical-religious music of his Rosicrucian and Gymnopodies period (1891–95), and were a harbinger of his humoristic piano suites of the 1910s. 

The title Pièces froides, translated as Cold Rooms or Cold Cuts, is a punning allusion to the dire poverty Satie experienced during his last years living in Montmartre. In July 1896, he had been forced to move into an unheated ground floor closet (he called it a "cupboard”. The space was so small that Satie's camp bed all but blocked the door shut, and on frigid nights he kept warm by sleeping fully dressed with the rest of his clothing piled on top of him.

This the second of the two cold pieces: Danses de travers (Crooked Dances)
1. En y regardant à deux fois (Give it a good look)
2. Passer (Go on)
3. Encore (Again)

Here i've arranged the original solo piano for 2 classical guitars, 12-string, celeste, woodwinds & strings.

cover art: Le Repas Frugal by Picasso

Erik Satie, Pièces Froides

William Byrd's Elizabethan choral work for 6 voices arranged for 3 guitars.

Byrd Sing Joyfully taylors+3gtr-3-1

Sing Joyfully, William Byrd

Written by Roland Dyens. Apparently Skaï is a French slang term for imitation leather, and here references the gauchos of Argentina and Southern Brazil who are known for their distinctive leather outfits. Hence Tango en Skaï is a humorous, gaudy take on the tango.

Sadly, French guitarist and composer Roland Dyens passed away on October 29th, 2016. One of the greatest classical guitarists of his generation, he was a teacher, a prolific composer and a phenomenal performer with a sly, understated sense of humor and wonderful ability to improvise. 

His arrangements of jazz standards like Night in Tunisia, Round Midnight and Django’s Nuages have become standards in their own right for classical guitarists around the world. He will be missed, his music will live on. Roland repose en paix.

Et voici mon petit hommage pictural à un géant...
https://www.behance.net/gallery/44790771/hommage-a-roland

Tango en Skaï

a simple song for the new year by guillaume pearson.
all guitars by naldeau, synths by guillaume pearson, drums by the greek god yannis

January Song

This is another song by Hitoshi Yasui, chairhouse of Tokyo, who was generous in allowing me to arrange and record it for guitar. This is a song from his  "Piano Ten Thousand Leaves" project. His mission “is to create gentle, calm, peaceful, beautiful, relaxing piano music and share it with all human beings." He writes, records and posts one beautiful piano composition each day. His original piano version of "in an increasingly callous world" is number 1480 from january 3rd, 2018 and can be heard here: https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/in-an-increasingly-callous-world-1480-by-chair-house-01032018

Thanks to Hitoshi for his daily musical watercolors and thanks for allowing me to adapt this for guitar. Please visit and listen to his original piano music @chairhouse.

Callous World

Soir de Paris was written for piano by Hitoshi Yasui, chairhouse of Tokyo, who was generous in allowing me to arrange and record it for guitar. It is from his "Piano Ten Thousand Leaves" project. His mission “is to create gentle, calm, peaceful, beautiful, relaxing piano music and share it with all human beings." He writes, records and posts one beautiful piano composition each day. Hope you enjoy this guitar version.

His original chairhouse piano recording was created september 17, 2017 and can be heard heard here: https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/soir-de-paris-1372-by-chair-house-09172017

chairhouse guitar

Soir de Paris

written by hitoshi yasui, chairhouse tokyo.
adapted and arranged for guitar by naldo.

his piano version was released August. 16, 2017 and can be heard here: https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/single-camellia-bloom-1340-by-chair-house-08162017

artwork from 1882 photo of Sarah Bernhardt in
La Dame aux Camélias

Single Camelia Bloom

my guitar arrangement of another beautiful song by chairhouse.

please enjoy the original chairhouse piano version here:
https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/watashi-no-kokoro

the photo is from claude lelouch's "un homme et une femme".

watashi no kokoro

Watashi No Kokoro

This song was composed for piano by Hitoshi Yasui, chairhouse of Tokyo, who was generous in allowing me to arrange and record it for guitars. It is a song from his "Piano Ten Thousand Leaves" project. His mission “is to create gentle, calm, peaceful, beautiful, relaxing piano music and share it with all human beings." He writes, records and posts one beautiful piano composition each day. This song is number 1990 from May 27, 2019. 

Thanks to Hitoshi for his daily musical watercolors and thanks for allowing me to adapt this. The original piano version by chairhouse can be heard here: https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/if-she-talked-to-him-one-more-time-1990-by-chair-house-05272019

image is Jean Seberg from Godard's  "À Bout De Souffle"

if she talked to him

This song was originally composed for piano by Hitoshi Yasui, chairhouse of Tokyo, who was generous in allowing me to arrange and record it for guitar. It is another song from his "Piano Ten Thousand Leaves" project.

Thanks to Hitoshi for his daily musical watercolors and thanks for allowing me to adapt this beautiful and mysterious song. The original piano version by chairhouse can be heard here:
https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/those-qualities-that-interested-him-2130-by-chair-house-10142019

Those Qualities That Interested Him

Electric BWV 1030

This is another beautiful arrangement by composer Guillaume Pearson of Berkeley, California. It is an orchestration he wrote to accompany my guitar version of this chairhouse song composed for piano by Hitoshi Yasui who generously allowed us to arrange and record this new orchestrated version.

Thanks to Hitoshi for his daily musical offerings and thanks for allowing us to adapt this. His original piano version can be heard here on his chairhouse site:
https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/if-she-talked-to-him-one-more-time-1990-by-chair-house-05272019

the solo guitar version is here:
https://soundcloud.com/naldeau/if-she-talked-to-him

If She Talked To Him by chairhouse, orchestration by Guillaume Pearson

This is another arrangement by composer Guillaume Pearson. It is an orchestration he wrote to accompany my guitar version of Soir De Paris by Hitoshi Yasui, chairhouse of Tokyo.

Many thank to Hitoshi for his daily musical watercolors and for allowing us to adapt this. His beautiful solo piano version can be heard here on his chairhouse site:  https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/soir-de-paris-1372-by-chair-house-09172017

Soir De Paris by chairhouse, orchestration by Guillaume Pearson

This song was originally composed for piano by Hitoshi Yasui, chairhouse of Tokyo, who was generous in allowing us to arrange and record it for guitar and strings. It is another song from his "Piano Ten Thousand Leaves" project. The string arrangement is by composer Guillaume Pearson. Watashi No Kokoro translates as My Heart.

Thanks to Hitoshi for his daily musical watercolors and thanks for allowing us to adapt this beautiful song. The original piano version by chairhouse can be heard here: https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/watashi-no-kokoro

the photo is of lovely Lizzy to whom this song is dedicated (<;

Watashi No Kokoro, strings by Guillaume Pearson

we are living in crazy times. lockdown mode here in san francisco but no panic and thankful to have had this new song collaboration to work on over the last few weeks. hopefully this song by hitoshi yasui of chairhouse will provide some small amount of musical beauty to charm and distract you. it did charm and distract us as we worked on it. this is the first of hitoshi's songs where i hadn't already recorded a solo guitar version. the beautiful orchestration is again by mon ami Guillaume Pearson. as always thanks to hitoshi for his wonderful songs each day and for allowing us to record this one.

chairhouse original piano version here: https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/when-she-got-there-2230-by-chair-house-01222020

artwork is from the Paper Bride series by painter Zeng Chuanxing.

When She Got There by chairhouse, orchestration by Guillaume Pearson

as always thanks to hitoshi yasui of chairhouse for his wonderful daily piano improvisations and for allowing us to record our version of  "in a an increasingly callous world" which he recorded on january 3, 2018 as part of his piano ten thousand leaves project.

thankful to have had this music to work on with my musical friend guillaume over these last difficult quarantine weeks. hope everyone is safe and well, persevering and continuing to make music. play on soundcloud friends. this too shall pass. 

chairhouse original piano version can be heard here:
https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/in-an-increasingly-callous-world-1480-by-chair-house-01032018

my solo guitar version is here: https://soundcloud.com/naldeau/callous-world-by-chairhouse

cover art: Automat by Edward Hopper

Callous World by chairhouse, arranged by Guillaume Pearson

Thanks always to Hitoshi Yasui for his daily musical watercolors and for helping us to adapt these songs. I love the additional colors Guillaume Pearson brought to this one with his string orchestral arrangement. It seems to underscore a feeling of optimistic melancholy that abounds now on day 45 of quarantine here in San Francisco. Happy to have beautiful music that can momentarily assuage feelings of exile and separation. Hope this can provide the same for others who are in the same situation. Stay safe, stay creative and play on.

The original piano version of "The Bottle Unopened & Glasses Empty" was recorded by Hitoshi on January 2, 2018 and can be heard here on  chairhouse soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/the-bottle-unopened-and-glasses-empty-1479-by-chair-house-1022019

My earlier solo guitar version can be heard here:
https://soundcloud.com/naldeau/bottle-unopened-glasses-empty-guitar?in=naldeau/sets/chairhouse-guitars

Ez a dal a gyönyörű Katinak szól.
Cover photo of Vanessa is by Victor Skrebneski.

The Bottle Unopened & Glasses Empty

Thanks always to Hitoshi Yasui of chairhouse for his daily musical watercolors and for helping us to adapt this song.

original chairhouse piano version here:
https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/somewhrere-you-remember-451

cover art: Portrait of Sarah Bernhardt by Georges Jules Victor Clairin

Somewhere You Remember by chairhouse, orchestration by Guillaume Pearson

Thanks again and always to Hitoshi Yasui of chairhouse for his daily musical offerings and for helping us to adapt this lovely song based on his piano improv of February 28, 2020. It is another song from his epic "Piano Ten Thousand Leaves" project. The guitar arrangement is by naldo and the beautiful orchestration is again written by Berkeley composer Guillaume Pearson. We hope you enjoy it and as Hitoshi often writes "Happy if this makes you feel peaceful".

Listen to the original chairhouse piano here:
https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/she-always-looked-at-the-postmark-first-2267-by-chair-house-0228-by-chair-house-02282020

cover art by Gustave Jean Jacquet

She Always Looked at the Postmark First by chairhouse

When I first heard chairhouse’s beautiful Single Camellia Bloom it reminded me of one of french guitarist/composer Francis Kleynjans’ graceful barcarolles and i knew i wanted to arrange it for guitar. I recorded a solo guitar version last year. 

It is also one of the chairhouse songs that caught the ear of my musical friend Guillaume Pearson who has written a beautiful orchestration to accompany and elegantly embellish a newly recorded guitar track.

As always thanks to Hitoshi Yasui of chairhouse for his wonderful daily piano improvisations and for allowing us to create our version of Single Camellia Bloom. He recorded his original piano version on August 16, 2017 as number 1340 in his piano ten thousand leaves project. As Hitoshi often writes, happy if this makes you feel peaceful. (<;

chairhouse original piano version:
https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/single-camellia-bloom-1340-by-chair-house-08162017

Guillaume's beautiful orchestrations here: https://soundcloud.com/guillaumelecompositeur/tracks

my solo guitar version: https://soundcloud.com/naldeau/single-camelia-bloom?si=86665591ca494599b59e3170f29869eb&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

artwork: Sarah Berhardt, La Dame aux Camelias by Alphonse Mucha

Single Camellia Bloom

orchestration by guillaume pearson. guitare & ambient setting by naldo, 

As always, special thanks to Hitoshi Yasui of chairhouse for his daily musical piano beauty and for helping us to adapt these songs.
original chairhouse piano: https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/those-thoughts-would-turn-me-into-something-2229-by-chair-house-01212020

more of guillaume's songs & beautiful cinematic orchestrations:
soundcloud.com/guillaumelecompositeur/tracks

artwork: Tonal Spring by Milt Kobayashi

Those Thoughts

the orchestration is by guillaume pearson, guitar arrangement by naldo and the original song is by hitoshi yasui of chairhouse. it's been wonderful to work on these arrangements of chairhouse songs with my musical cloud friends guillaume and hitoshi over the last trying months of covid quarantine and separation. hope you can find some similar, perhaps temporary comfort from their beauty. 

you can hear original chairhouse piano here:
https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/ayant-servi-pour-plusieurs-parfums-1371-by-chair-house-09162017

more of guillaume's songs & beautiful cinematic orchestrations:
soundcloud.com/guillaumelecompositeur/tracks

artwork by Alphonse Mucha

Plusieurs Parfums

can’t say goodbye, just good riddance to this year and glad for the departure. no fond farewell, au revoir, wiedersehen or さようなら to 2020. in the words of Ray Charles, just hit the road and don’t you come back no more, no more.

in spite of quarantine lockdowns and turmoil i’m grateful to have had the inspiring music of so many wonderful soundcloud musicians who kept on playing and creating music throughout a difficult year. special thanks to hitoshi yasui of chairhouse for his daily musical gems and for allowing us to create our versions of his beautiful piano music. looking forward to a better 2021 and wishing everyone a happy, healthy, peaceful and musical new year. play on friends. 

this orchestration and mix is by guillaume pearson, guitar arrangement & SFX by naldo, original song written by hitoshi yasui of chairhouse. his lovely piano version can be heard here: https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/cant-say-goodbye-yet-419
more of guillaume's songs & cinematic orchestrations:
soundcloud.com/guillaumelecompositeur/tracks

close your eyes, it's a movie without pictures. the intro voice is Celia Johnson from the film Brief Encounter directed by the great David Lean. the cover art is Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard in their goodbye scene at a 1945 London train station.

Can't Say Goodbye

the title on this song seems fitting today as an american inauguration takes place. hopefully a turbulent, stormy era is subsiding and a new beginning is unfolding on january 20th.

the orchestration is by guillaume pearson, guitar arrangement by naldo. the full title of the original song by hitoshi yasui of chairhouse is: "the sweet breath of spring played amidst its branches". his beautiful piano version can be heard here: https://soundcloud.com/chairhouse/the-sweet-breath-of-spring-played-amidst-its-branches-2448-by-chair-house-08272020

more of guillaume's songs & cinematic orchestrations:
soundcloud.com/guillaumelecompositeur/tracks

the cover art is Fandango by Milt Kobayashi

Sweet Breath of Spring

guitarist, composer, recording in logic with roland guitar synth, stratocaster and tiny amps.
please visit kid otari soundcloud for more rock collaborations with guillaume: https://soundcloud.com/user-970486418/tracks

and NG-Xp cloud for experimental orchestral & soundscape collaborations of naldo & guillaume here: https://soundcloud.com/ng-xp/tracks
https://soundcloud.com/ng-xp/tracks

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