Three Bagatelles (Ligeti)

Ligeti finished the bagatelles in 1961, as part of his collaboration with neo-dadaist group Fluxus.

[1] The original manuscript is kept in Basel, in the Sacher Stiftung, as part of the Nordwall Collection, and is indeed dedicated to David Tudor.

The piece was first performed in Wiesbaden by Karl-Erik Welin [de] and was published in 1965 in New York City by Schott Music.

The tempo indications are as follows:[3] The composition consists exclusively of one long C♯1 whole note played in the first bagatelle.

In a public performance of the piece by Karl-Erin Welin in Stockholm, the audience was very disappointed, as they were expecting something different.