Six Pièces, Op. 16-21, composed between 1856 and 1864, were first published in 1868 by the small Parisian publishing house, Maeyens-Couvreur. Rollin Smith calls this event the first significant contribution to the French organ literature in more than a century, and the most important organ music written since the Organ Sonatas of Mendelssohn. The symphonic treatment of the Cavaillé-Coll organ with all its aural expression, and performance possibilities, was a revolution in the development of organ music, and marked the beginning of the new chapter. The premiere of Six Pièces took place on November 17, 1864 in the church of Sainte-Clotilde – performed by the composer himself. In April 1866, Franck presented the collection again during a private concert for Ferenc Liszt. As Vincent d’Indy noted: Liszt […] coming down from the organ-loft where Franck had just been playing these compositions to him, exclaimed with sincere emotion: “These poems have their place beside the masterpieces of Sebastian Bach!”