William Walton (1902 - 1983) was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera. Five Bagatelles is his only work for solo guitar.
"Never having thought of writing for the guitar, I asked Julian Bream for a chart which would explain what the guitar could do. I managed to write some rather pretty pieces for him, except that the first six notes of the first piece all need to be played on open strings. So when he begins to play the audience will probably think he’s tuning the bloody thing up!"
William Walton
