Golden ratio
The three sections are written with no bar lines, implying a free metric structure. Each piece is written in an elegant melody/accompaniment chorale style, exhibiting an interplay of two themes in austere but cleverly designed juxtaposition, with repetition and occasional departure from the initial exposition. In 1988, Alan Gillmor of Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, published his "Erik Satie". Here was revealed his finding that, in all three movements, the ratios of beat counts of these complementary sections within all three pieces fell close enough to the Golden ratio as to evade mistaking for anything but design intent by the composer. Dr. Gillmor was led to explore this by research which suggested that, around the time of the composition of the Sonneries, Satie and Debussy had discussed the possibilities for using the Golden ratio in their work.