Under the title, the piece's challenge is stated as "La main droite chante.-Doubles notes a la main gauche" ("The right hand sings. - Double notes in the left hand"). Cantilena, in French, signifies "a sad, monotonous song" or "a medieval song." The right hand, marked cantabile, quietly sings an introspective melody. The left hand, composed of two voices, creates light and shadow through its combinations, and these shifting nuances envelop the listener in a world of serene and fantastical sonorities.