As a young composer in Vienna, Schubert wrote music for the city's growing bourgeois salons. These pieces, mainly dances, were popular for publication and sales. While not intended for big concerts, they overflow with melody and wit. The 12 Écossaises, D. 299, marked Schubert's first work composed outside Vienna. Every two pieces in this album is a set and should be played together. The present two Écossaises are the numbers 7 and 8, played together as a set of two dances.