Beethoven wrote his Op 119 Bagatelles – 11 short pieces each lasting no more than a minute or two – when he was working on two of his biggest works: the Missa Solemnis and the Ninth Symphony. His Leipzig publisher complained that they were such insignificant trifles no one would believe they were by Beethoven: not only slight but on the whole easy too. The date of composition of the Bagatelles, Op. 119 given in the headnote (1822) refers to the date of their completion. It is generally believed that a few of them date back to the 1790s, perhaps to as early as 1793. Some of the Bagatelles in their original sketch form may have been intended as movements for a piano sonata, while others may have had roots in other projected keyboard compositions before Beethoven shelved them. (Programme notes from the internet (wikipedia!)