In 1910, Webern composed these four short movements, which underwent a final revision in 1914. Despite the drastic reduction in external dimensions, they rank among the most eloquent works Webern ever wrote.

The violin part in particular is decidedly virtuosic, a true compendium of violin playing techniques. The original combination of tremolo at the bridge and pizzicato at the beginning of the second piece is as rarely found elsewhere in Webern as the octaves that appear shortly after. Fast and slow movements alternate in regular succession. The extremely slow movements (Nos. 1 and 3) make use of the sonic possibilities of the violin tone (the first note of the third piece lasts 20 seconds) and the piano pedal; sustained sounds alternate with slow ostinati. The extroverted second piece presents an apparently colourful jumble of the most divergent figures, similar to the third piano piece in Schoenberg's Op. 11. Contrast is its formal principle. As in the fourth piece, the dynamic range in the second extends from ppp to fff. The final piece, however, is less discontinuously constructed: from the animated outburst of the opening bars, it leads to the Adagio of the conclusion, fading away "like a breath". - Manfred Angerer