Four Bagatelles (2016/arr. 2018)
for violin, alto saxophone and piano
1. the palest of blues
2. rondino
3. still waters
4. rhythm study no. 1
Arranged for Vetta Chamber Music
Duration: 10 min.
Four Bagatelles is an arrangement of four movements from a set of six, originally composed for flute, cello and piano. Ever enamoured of short forms, in composing the bagatelles I turned again to my favourite musical structure: a collection of multiple brief movements. The four pieces that form the larger work are contrasting in character, exploring unusual timbral colours, extended harmonies, lyricism, rhythmic pulse and whimsy.
The Ravel-esque opening movement entitled “the palest of blues” features a solitary blue note, followed by the second movement “rondino”, a mosaic of fragments that create a constantly shifting texture over largely static harmonies. The third movement, “still waters”, is a lyrical and introspective meditation. The set closes with “rhythm study no. 1”, a tongue in cheek title that refers to a classical musician’s brief exploration of that compelling phenomenon called ‘groove’.