#vexations

The piece bears the inscription "In order to play the motif 840 times in succession, it would be advisable to prepare oneself beforehand, and in the deepest silence, by serious immobilities." ("Pour se jouer 840 fois de suite ce motif, il sera bon de se préparer au préalable, et dans le plus grand silence, par des immobilités sérieuses.") From the 1960s onward, this text has mostly been interpreted as an instruction that the page of music should be played 840 times, although this may not have been Satie's intention. (wiki)

The EEG of the pianist Armin Fuchs recorded during the 28 hours he played the Vexations led researchers to conclude that a trance cannot be avoided when keeping scrupulously to Satie's instructions. (youtube)

Consistent among both witnesses and performers are reports of the piece’s mystical effects. Pianists say there is something about Satie’s fiendish notation that makes the brief line impossible to memorize. Even after hundreds of repetitions, players are forced to sight-read from the beginning, as if learning for the first time. Witnesses have reported a similar effect. Listeners that subject themselves to the unnerving melody for several hours still find themselves incapable of humming it.