New incidental music was required for a performance of William Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado about Nothing in the Schönbrunn Schlosstheater in Vienna in 1920. Erich Wolfgang Korngold had already composed this music two years previously; he also conducted the première in May 1920. In January of the same year however, Korngold's entertaining suite also received its first performance and its catchy melodies have guaranteed its popularity up to the present day.

A third version arranged by the composer for string quartet surfaced at an auction in 1984 : this version of the work had however never been performed. The Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde [Society of Music Lovers] in Vienna succeeded in purchasing this three-movement version which will receive its much belated performance almost a century after its creation.