This piece might cause the listener to think that he was listening to an orchestral overture or some music that had been played in a classic cartoon. It may be surprising to learn that organ music during the Catholic Mass in Paris at this time could have been mistaken for music heard at the opera, due to secular influences that prevalent after the French Revolution. Batiste was organist at the prominent church of St Eustache in Paris. This piece was designed to be heard during the Offertory part of the Mass, when the organist was expected to play or improvise a longer, more elaborate piece.