The Two Arabesques is considered one of Debussy's most important early piano pieces. The work was probably composed shortly before its publication in November 1891. At the time, it received little attention, but after 1906 it became one of the composer's most popular works, and has now been transcribed for many other instruments. The elegant and fluid ornamentation of the first arabesque, which, despite its movement, also shows a certain stillness, has taken a firm place in the repertoire of pianists and talented amateurs alike.