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Satie, Erik [Eric] (Alfred Leslie) (b. Honfleur, 1866; d. Paris, 1925). French composer and pianist, son of French father and Scottish mother. Moved to Paris 1878. Studied Paris Conservatory 1879-86 with little success. Worked as pianist in 1888 at Montmartre cabaret. Met Debussy in 1890. In 1891 joined Catholic Rosicrucian sect and composed several works for it. From about 1910 became something of a cult among young composers attracted by the eccentric, humorous titles of some of his works, e.g. Trois Morceaux en forme de poire (Three Pear-shaped Pieces). Strongly influenced group of young composers known as Les Six. Meeting with Cocteau. in 1915 led to Diaghilev ballet Parade (1917), in which jazz rhythms are used and the instrumentation includes typewriter, steamship whistle, and siren. Later was associated with Surrealists and Dadaists. Satie's importance lay in directing a new generation of French composers away from Wagner-influenced impressionism towards a leaner, more epigrammatic style. Wrote music for ballets, orchestrated En Habit de cheval , Cinq Grimaces, Trois petites pieces montŽes, La belle excentrique, Jack-in-the Box, wrote Messe des Pauvres, with organ or piano forte, Socrate, works for voice and piano, violin and piano and piano.

Sauguet, Henri [Jean Pierre Poupard] (b. Bordeaux, 1901; d. Paris, 1989). French composer. Studied with Canteloube, later with Koechlin. Became disciple of Satie and formed group called Ecole d'Arcueil. Best known for his ballets and has also comp. musique concr�te. Most considerable work is his Stendhal opera La Chartreuse de Parme (1927-36, revised 1968; produced in Paris 1939). Wrote seven other operas, 25 ballets, and song-cycles to texts by Eluard, Schiller, Shakespeare, and MallarmŽ.

Scarlatti, (Giuseppe) Domenico (b. Naples, 1685; d. Madrid, 1757). Italian composer and harpsichordist. Thought to have been pupil of his father and after 1708 of Pasquini and Gasparini in Venice, where he met Handel. Worked in Rome 1708-19. Court harpsichordist to King of Portugal and teacher of Princess Maria Barbara in Lisbon 1719-28; returned to Italy on leave 1725-9; accompanied Maria Barbara to Spain on her marriage to the Sp. Crown Prince in 1729. Stayed in Madrid for rest of his life, becoming Maria Barbara's maestro de camera when she became queen. Domenico imparted to keyboard a hitherto unsuspected freedom of style. Introduced many new technical devices (rapid repetitions, crossed hands, double-note passages, etc.) and the 550 single-movement sonatas he wrote in Spain are exercises as well as innovatory compositions foreshadowing sonata form. Also composed 14 operas, masses and many other works.

Schumann, Robert (Alexander) (b. Zwichkau, 1810; d. Endenich, 1856). German composer, pianist, conductor, and critic. Studied law at Leipzig and Heidelberg Universities, but main interests were music and Romantic literature, e.g. Jean-Paul Richter. In 1818 met Clara Wieck, to whose father Friedrich he went for piano forte lessons in 1829, lodging with him and beginning to compose. In 1832 permanently injured hand by device he had invented to keep 4th finger immobile while practicing.

Sinding, Christian (August) (b. Kongsberg, Norway, 1856; d. Oslo, 1941). Norweg. composer and pianist. Studied at Leipzig (1874-8), Berlin, Dresden, and Munich (1882-884). Lived in Oslo from 1884 apart from spell as teacher at Eastman School 1921-22. Life pension from Norweg. Governement 1910. Works include operas, 4 symphonies (1880-1936), 3 violin concertos, piano forte concertos, piano forte quintet. The most famous work is Rustle of Spring (Fruhlingsrauschen).

Schmitt, Florent (b. Bl‰mont, Nancy, 1870; d. Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1958). French composer. Studied Paris Conservatory with FaurŽ and Massenet. Won Grand Prix de Rome 1900 for his Symbolist work SŽmiramis. Director of Lyons Conservatory 1922-24. Famous for his Symbolists orchestrated works such as Feuillets de Voyage (1903-1913), La Tragedie de Salome (1910), Antoine et Cleopatre (1920), his participation for a film made after Salammb™, chamber music, piano forte pieces and songs.

Steinberg, Maximilian (b. Vilna, 1883; d. Leningrad, 1946). Russian composer and teacher. Studied at University of St. Petersburg and with Rimsky-Korsakov (his father-in-law from 1908), and Glazunov. Professor of composition St. Petersburg Conservatory from 1908, becoming director 1934. Pupils include Shostakovich. Compositions include 4 symphonies, ballets, violin concertos, choral works, 2 string qts., piano forte pieces, and songs.

Stravinsky, Igor (Fyodorovich) (b. Oranienbaum, 1882; d. NY, 1971). Russian-born composer, conductor, pianist and writer (French cit. 1934, American cit. 1945). Went to St. Petersburg University 1901 to study law but increasingly spent time in mus. pursuits. Spent much time at Rimsky-Korsakov's house, becoming his pupil in 1903. Began first symphony, 1905, also piano forte sonata. When his short orchestral pieces Fireworks and Scherzo fantastique were played in St. Petersburg in 1909, they were heard by Diaghilev, who had by then formed the famous Ballets Russes in Paris. He invited Stravinsky to compose a ballet on the legend of The Firebird for 1910 season. This ballet was followed by Petrushka (1911) and by The Rite of Spring (1913). By then, Stravinsky was regarded as a leader of the musical avant-garde. In 1919-20 he composed for Diaghilev a ballet Pulcinella, that initiated the 'neo-classical' phase in Stravinsky's career. His last overtly Russian works of this period were the ballet Les Noces and the opera Mavra. Settling in France, he changed his musical style. The most important works of that period are the ballet Apollo Musagetes and Hogarthian opera The Rake's Progress (1951). His first major American works were the Symphony in 3 Movements of 1945 and the ballet Orpheus (1947). He is buried in the island cemetery of San Michele, Venice, near to Diaghilev, as he wished.

Strauss Richard (Georg) (b. Munich, 1864; d. Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 1949). German-born composer, conductor, and pianist (Austrian cit. 1947). Had piano forte lessons at 4 and began composing at 6. Violin lessons at 8. Studied with F. Meyer 1875, but went to no music academy, having normal education, ending at Munich University. At 16 wrote first symphony and string qt., both being performed in Munich, 1881. Success of symphonic poem Don Juan estimated him as most important young composer in Germany and successor to Wagner, whose widow took great interest in his career. Married soprano Pauline de Ahna 1894 and wrote many songs for her, appearing as her accompanist. Series of tone-poems - Till Eulenspiegel, Also sprach Zarathustra, Don Quixote, and Ein Heldenleben - between 1895 and 1899 confirmed his stature as master of the orchestration. His opera Feuersnot had a success in Dresden and Vienna, 1901 and 1902. Symbolist operas Salome (1905) and Elektra (1909) caused sensations through their supposedly "obscene" treatment of classical subjects. In latter Strauss first collaborated with Austrian poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal, who was to be librettist of 5 more of his operas, beginning in 191 with the 18th century comedy Der Rosenkavalier. This work was a triumph at its Dresden premi�re, went straight into the repertory of world's leading opera houses, and has stayed there. With Max Reinhardt, Hofmannsthal and others, founded Salzburg Festival 1920 and conducted Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutte there 1922. During World War II lived mostly in Vienna and composed operas Die Liebe der Danae and Capriccio. Moved to Switzerland 1945-49, where in 1947-48 he wrote his last work, the Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) for soprano and orchestra. After operation in Lausanne in Dec. 1948, returned to Garmisch May 1949.