This was Barber's last completed piano work. In 1977, the organizers of the Van Cliburn competition asked him to provide a 'morceau de concourse' for that year's competition. He produced the seven-and-a-half-minute piece after almost a year. The work comprises three sections in lied form, the last section being a repeat of the first. Section A opens with a descending phrase which is repeated with changes. An ascending rush leads to the most recognizable theme, made up of three motives which depart from one chord and finally return to the same. The descending phrase leads the music to a gradual desintegration. Section B starts violently, and gets even more complex and stormy. A hint at the main theme of A leads to a tense pause, which is followed by the reprise of A.

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