Written in 1809, E. T. A. Hoffmanns Miserere remained unprinted and unperformed during the composers lifetime. With its rich contrasts, the work is like a bridge thrown between the musical idiom of his time and the style of the Palestrina school, which Hoffmann so admired. There are a few short five-part a cappella passages that resemble the Palestrina style. Overall, however, the small-segmented structure of the work is definitely noteworthy. None of the twelve movements lasts longer than five minutes.

Diary entries confirm the composers inner tension. On 16 January 1809, for example, Hoffmann while working on this piece writes: rather unhealthy state, more like a romantic-religious feeling.