Bagatelles Op. 47

A work of such quality as the Bagatelles, op. 47, shows how much Dvořák—for all his relative stature among cognoscenti of classical music—may still be underappreciated. Like several of his Slavonic Dances, the Bagatelles capture a folk spirit that Dvořák could channel better than any of his contemporaries. Indeed, in the twelve days he took to write the Bagatelles in May 1878, Dvořák was also wrapping up his first collection of Slavonic Dances (op. 46). The cross fertilization made a deep impact on the Bagatelles. Impeccably crafted, rhythmically vibrant (the dance traditions of central Europe are never far from the surface of Dvořák’s music), the Bagatelles also demonstrate the composer’s natural melodic gifts. Dvořák had already written at least nine string quartets as well as several trios and quintets, and the comfort he felt with string textures is evident. This can be heard, for instance, in the assured counterpoint featured in the slow fourth movement—which, not insignificantly, is set in the same key (E major) as the composer’s brilliant Serenade for Strings, op. 22 (1875).
The Bagatelles were intended primarily as “house music” to be performed by talented amateurs. The inclusion of a harmonium, rather than a more conventional piano, was dictated by the particular ensemble of friends Dvořák had in mind. Still, the piece demands more than most talented amateurs can muster; in other words, it requires more experience and professional skills to make such pieces sound “natural” and “simple.” Just as in the case of Beethoven’s late piano pieces entitled “Bagatelles,” often translated as “Trifles,” Dvořák’s set never equates small scale with small ambitions. His overarching aim is to unite the movements with motivic coherence, for instance the way in which the main theme is hinted at, and sometimes directly quoted, in the third and fifth movements. The Minuet (second movement) and Andante (fourth movement) are placed for contrast. Yet through everything runs the composer’s brilliant and apparently effortless lyricism, which makes his music so enduringly popular.

(c) Jason Stell