An ogive is the curve that forms the outline of a pointed gothic arch. Erik Satie gave this title to a set of four piano miniatures published in 1886 at the beginning of his career. Their calm, slow melodies are built up from paired phrases reminiscent of plainchant. He wanted to evoke a large pipe organ reverberating in the depth of a cathedral, and achieved this sonority by using full harmonies, octave doubling and sharply contrasting dynamics. Satie wrote this music without bar-lines.