Erik Satie (1866–1925) - avant-garde composer, mystic, Dadaist, bohemian gymnopedist of Montmartre, as well as the legendary Velveteen Gentleman, is deservedly an icon of modernism. As a “musical eccentric,” he rethought the art of composition and identified new methods of artistic expression. But, according to Mary E. Davis, the book's author, "Satie is important not only for the avant-garde, but also for figures who are completely integrated into the musical mainstream - for example, for Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky," and his persona has long occupied a special place in the musical history of mankind. This biography not only explores the life of the composer, but also explores the phenomenon of Satie’s “deliberate fusion of public image and artistic gift,” and also provides a comprehensive portrait of his contemporary era.