The story of the temptations and trials of the third- and fourth century Egyptian hermit St. Anthony has inspired works by a variety of painters, sculptors, and musicians. One of the most famous of these, Matthias Grünewald's painting Temptation of St. Anthony, inspired Paul Hindemith's opera and symphony Mathis der Maler, and may have provided some impetus for Arnold Bax's composition for piano duo The Devil That Tempted St. Anthony. Bax's seven- to eight-minute work, originally written for solo piano in 1920 (that earlier arrangement is now lost), was the second of several he wrote for the married pianists Ethel Bartlett and Rae Robertson, who gave its first performance at London's Aeolian Hall on June 19, 1928.

Bax's piece begins slowly with a descending motif, generously decorated by trills. The music grows tense, with angry repeated notes and runs and a slightly acidulous harmonic palette that may remind some listeners of the work of the Russian composer Alexander Scriabin. The feeling of tension lingers as the music quiets again and returns to the opening motif. With abrupt, dramatic chords and a forceful flurry of notes, the work ends decisively.

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