A bagatelle (from the French bagatelle — “a trifle”) is a short instrumental piece, mostly for piano, of a light, unpretentious character. Despite its modest name, bagatelles are often refined miniatures in which the composer, with a few strokes, captures a particular mood or image.
The genre was especially loved by Ludwig van Beethoven, who wrote several collections of bagatelles; separately from them stands the celebrated bagatelle “Für Elise” (WoO 59) — one of the most famous melodies in the world. Later, bagatelles were written by other composers too, including Franz Liszt, Antonín Dvořák, and Béla Bartók. The bagatelle is an example of how even the shortest and simplest form conceals room for genuine mastery and poetry.
