Vexations

Montmartre in the 1890s is a well-known haven for artists and bohemians. Here at the crest of the hill, inside a tiny apartment at No. 6 Rue Cortot, lives Erik Satie. He is known only as a poor, eccentric musician of the shadow theatre at Le Chat Noir. But Claude Debussy declares, “My friend Erik is a composer.” Suzanne Valadon lives two doors down at No. 2 Rue Cortot. She is known as a model and mistress to the finest living painters, even the great Renoir. But Toulouse-Lautrec insists, “My friend Suzanne is an artist.” Erik Satie’s love for Suzanne Valadon will call into question his own notions of art and success, truth and desire, causing a condition he refers to as…Vexations. Walk with Erik and Suzanne along the streets of Paris in La Belle Époque. Travel in time with Satie, the Great Precursor; back a century to Karlsbad to conduct J.S. Bach’s court ensemble, forward a half-century to New York City to advise John Cage about Furniture Music. Discover an extraordinary story of restless spirits and timeless music, referred to as…Vexations.