At the time of the composition, Hungary had gone through World War II and was about to enter a Stalinist era, which would last seven years.
At that time, Ligeti was 24 years old and was still a student at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music.
It was dedicated to György Kurtág, a fellow student of his, and was later published by Schott Music together with Ligeti's 1947 Due capricci, even though they were composed a year apart and were conceived separately.
[2] This two-part invention shows a very profusely used counterpoint and features highly chromatic melodic segments.
[3] It is a very quick piece, marked Risoluto, ♩ = 88, and gravitates towards F.[4] Following is a list of some of the most notable recordings of this composition: