The pianist is a perfect guide through magical, inventive music

Beethoven’s bagatelles, which he wrote throughout his life, tend to be overshadowed by the 32 piano sonatas. But look closer, and you’ll find that they’re every bit as inventive. These perfect miniatures form a fascinating glimpse into Beethoven’s artistic development, with Paul Lewis’ crystalline playing the perfect guide. The early 7 Bagatelles show a composer flexing his muscles: No. 7 nods to the later “Waldstein” Sonata while the skittish No. 2 gives Haydn’s high jinks a run for their money. Beethoven called his Op. 119 set “trifles”—many of them are brief (No. 10 is 12 seconds long), but their spontaneity is magical. The 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126 are pure late Beethoven—under their surface simplicities lie breathtaking enigmas.