Though Beethoven wrote some of his greatest works for solo piano, he was also a master of musical cameos. This collection of shorter pieces includes the Twelve German Dances, written in 1795 for the annual Viennese society ball at the Redoutensaal, a Polonaise which is much more than a simple dance and the Fantasia, Op. 77 which gives an idea of his prowess as an improviser. Combining charm and elegance with concentration of expressive means, these works offer a foretaste of Schubert and Schumann.