A colourful and somewhat eccentric personality, Erik Satie was an important figure in the Parisian music scene of the early 20th century. He composed a particularly large amount of music for piano, the most famous works being the Gymnopédies of 1888, and much of his output can be seen as a forerunner to 20th century minimalism. Satie also wrote a number of vocal compositions, including some light-hearted cabaret songs. These are three such pieces, written in 1903 – 1904: La Diva de l’Empire (The Diva of the Empire), Je the veux (I want you) and Le Piccadilly.