This is a video of guitarist Jay Source performing my 6 Bagatelles for Solo Guitar. It takes its title from composer Bela Bartok, who wrote 20 or so short works for solo piann, which he called “Bagatelles.” A bagatelle is a smal loaf of bread in French, a small bagette. Numerous composers have used the title when creating a small group of related works. My Bagatelles explore different time signature from simple “Common time” (4\4) to compound (6\8), to complex (5\4), to complex-compound (6\13), which many Slavic composers, like Bartok, have used. The 5th movement is based on the American folk tune, Pretty Saro, which has been performed by many folk singers, including Bob Dylan. The 3rd movement, which uses the compound-complex time signature of 6\13 was suggested by old friend and composer David Fetherolf who loves Czech culture and complex music of all stripes.

It was nice to write for guitar again after not having done so since the begging of my carreer when I wrote Thump for solo guitar.