Welcome! 🙂 This blog features daily short piano pieces I’ve recorded at home. It began as a project for the quarantine, which initially was going to be a couple of weeks. I’m determined to keep it going as long as needed, in hopes that if you need a mental break during these tough times, you can find one here. If you’re new to the series and would like to check out earlier posts, the first one is here.
Today’s piece is one of my favorite short works by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). This is one of a set of Bagatelles he wrote late in his compositional life. Beethoven, as I’ve written about before here on the blog, was an innovator who single-handedly changed the course of music history.
When we think of Beethoven, we might think mostly about his heroic, passionate style in music like the Ninth Symphony, which is a huge-scale piece of music, both in length and in terms of the number of performers it needs. Beethoven was definitely interested in expanding musical forms, especially in the middle and late periods of his career. But he was also interested in miniatures. His Bagatelles, which he wrote at various points during his compositional life, showcase that side of him.
Today’s Bagatelle is a lovely, lyrical little piece. Its gentle harmonies sound sweet and wistful. As you listen, see if the music conjures up any particular image or story for you. As always, you’re welcome to share your thoughts and responses to the music in the comments.
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Kris Faatz 