Schumann wrote the three pieces in Dresden in just two days in February 1849, first calling them Soiréestücke (evening pieces). Luckhardt published them the same year. He wrote them for clarinet, but they were published with the option of violin or cello instead.
They are meant to be played as a set, moving from inward and tender to bold and outgoing. The first is in A minor and ends in A major, and the last two are in A major. The finale brings back ideas from the first piece and ends with a coda where Schumann asks twice for more speed.
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