Five Bagatelles (2021)

These Five Bagatelles were written for Mark Simpson and Amy Harman who planned to form a duo, and I was very happy to be invited to write for them. The inspiration for these short pieces comes from Beethoven, whose piano Bagatelles I have always admired for their concision and their ability to capture whole worlds in the briefest of statements.

The first piece is marked Chiacchierata (Chattering) and involves lively exchanges between the two instruments. The second piece – Sognante (Dreamy) – has a pedal note A shared between the two players who perform decorated phrases around the A. The third piece is marked Attaccabrigha meaning quarrelsome, and the fourth, slower bagatelle is Desideroso (Wishful). The final piece is lively once again and is marked Exuberante (Exuberant).

Brian Elias