Five Bagatelles

c.15 min

May 2019
Kaueper Hall, Millikin University
Decatur, IL

Sylvan Negriţiu, piano

Commissioned by Millikin University and Sylvan Negruţiu

piano

The main musical gestures in these pieces are a series of clusters, intricate grace-note passages, and melodic lines emphasizing the intervals of second and seventh. The bagatelles explore the sound decay following chord strokes, creating lingering tones and distorted harmonies, most notably prominent in bagatelles 1,2 and 5. The arch of the collection begins and ends in oblivion, culminating in the declamatory third bagatelle, which disrupts the serene atmosphere created by #2 and stands as a pinnacle at the center of the set. The last two pieces are played without pause, emphasizing the unity of the entire cycle.

‒ Robert Chumbley