Performed by pianist Joong Han Jung at his recital in the Music Theatre at the University of Auckland, 14 May 2018.
Joong Han Jung Photo: RNZ/Tim Dodd
"Bagatelle" means "trifle" in French ... something slight and insignificant.
This is the first of three sets of Bagatelles that Beethoven wrote, and while each of the pieces is short in duration, you could hardly call them slight or insignificant.
He didn't give them individual titles, but they do suggest elements of the "character piece", popularised by composers such as Couperin and Rameau in their suites for harpsichord, and which would become even more prevalent after Beethoven in the Romantic era.
Recorded for RNZ Concert by Tim Dodd.
