Three Bagatelles for Wind Quintet

PROGRAM NOTE

These movements were inspired by Gyorgy Ligeti’s (1923-2006) Sechs Bagatellen, arrangements for wind quintet he made of his Musica Ricercata, made famous by Kubrick’s use of it in Eyes Wide Shut. These works are highly economical, squeezing out almost every conceivable musical gesture from only one or two ideas in what seems as short a time as possible.

A bagatelle (from the Italian bagattella, meaning “a trifle”) is typically defined as “a short musical piece in a light, mellow, innocent style.” My Three Bagatelles for Wind Quintet aim for Ligeti’s economic use of material, variety of interesting instrumental voicing, and freedom and directness of expression.