Work Overview

• Publication Year: 1954
• First Publisher: Max Eschig
• Instrumentation: Piano Solo
• Total Performance Time: Approximately 7 minutes

Following the preceding work,  The Candelabra with Seven Branches (Op. 315) , this piece continues the series of significant religious works for piano. Composed in Paris between December 20, 1953, and January 5, 1954, it is dedicated to Nadia Boulanger. Milhaud and Boulanger deepened their friendship particularly on the West Coast of the United States during World War II, with connections such as Boulanger performing the piano part when Germaine Prévost premiered Milhaud's Viola Sonata No. 2 (Op. 244) in 1944. The premiere of this work took place in December 1954 at the Detroit Institute of Arts, performed by Zadel Skolovsky. Skolovsky, a Canadian-born virtuoso and rising talent specializing in contemporary music, was also the commissioner and first performer of Milhaud's  Piano Concerto No. 4 (Op. 295) .

Although not directly stated in the published score, according to Paul Collaer, who was close to Milhaud, this work expresses the glorification of the Almighty found in a passage from Psalm 18. A consistent stately tempo of quarter note = 84 in 4/4 time prevails. While the opening and closing sections are in E major (without key signature), the tonality is not constant. Extensive chordal playing spanning a wide range, rapid 32nd-note scales and passages, and frequent double-note and octave playing are prominent. Mature virtuosity is prominently displayed, with many showpieces reminiscent of a concerto's solo part. Beyond the splendor derived from its technique, the inexhaustible adoration for the transcendent, and the creation of profound and contemplative sonorities are particularly outstanding, making it a masterpiece that leaves a vivid impression on the listener.