Composed in September 1896 in Beelitz. Based on clear tonality, the pieces consist of 48, 21, and 33 measures respectively. In early drafts, the work was numbered as a three-movement composition, but in later revised drafts, the second and third pieces are treated as a single work consisting of two parts. Nevertheless, even in later drafts, the title remains "3 kleine Stucke" (Three Little Pieces).