THREE BAGATELLES

The three bagatelles for piano were written during the summer of 1999 for the pianist Robert Hamilton. Each piece, as the titles suggest, is a short character study. Each also experiments with different compositional techniques based on the same basic materials:. the seven-note collection of pitches found in the major scale and a long-short-long rhythmic motive. The challenge was to create three pieces that on the surface are strikingly different, but nonetheless relate deeply to one another. A note to the performer: The bagatelles may be performed singly, as a group, or any two together. However, the original order noted above should be preserved when performing the entire group.