From his teenage years in Bonn until the end of his life, Beethoven composed piano bagatelles.
These brief, unpretentious pieces, which the composer called Kleinigkeiten, or “trifles,” were published in three sets (Op. 33, Op. 119, and Op. 126). They set the stage for the Romantic character pieces of later composers, such as Schumann, Chopin, and Brahms.
Pianist Paul Lewis writes, “Beethoven, the architect of massive, great formal structures, shows himself in these pieces as a master of the miniature, deftly creating an immediate impression with his opening gestures and developing his motives with unfettered originality.”
Published in 1803, the fourth Bagatelle from the Op. 33 collection is a serene Andante set in A major. The shadowy and restless middle section moves to A minor, and unfolds in a seemingly unending harmonic progression. When the initial theme returns, it is embellished through variation. Soon, the melody emerges in the bass voice. What began as a soprano song without words is transformed into a tender duet between two “characters.”
Here is Paul Lewis’ performance at London’s Wigmore Hall:
Recordings
- Beethoven: Bagatelles, Op. 33, 119, 126, Paul Lewis Amazon
Featured Image: photograph by Sarah Greed