Bagatelle

The bagatelle is a short, light classical composition, typically for solo piano, whose name — French for a trifle — announces its modest scale and unpretentious character. *Beethoven* established the form with his sets Opp. 33, 119 and 126 and the standalone "Für Elise", treating the miniature as a serious container for concentrated musical ideas. Later composers extended the type beyond the piano: *Dvořák* scored bagatelles for strings and harmonium, *Webern* compressed them into aphoristic string quartet movements, and *Bartók*, *Finzi* and *Walton* each produced characteristic sets.