Scherzo No,4

Chopin’s work in scherzo form was complementary and parallel to his work in ballade form. The first Ballade and the first Scherzo were both written in about 1835 and - after what seems like far more than a seven years of development in style and temperament - the fourth and last of each set was completed in 1842. It is true that, whereas the ballade was something he more or less invented, the scherzo had a long history and had already developed something of the macabre element which is such a prominent feature of Chopin’s treatment of the form. Even so, the demonic character of his First Scherzo in B minor was still so unconventional that Schumann was moved by it to make his classic remark that if this is a joke he would like to know what serious music sounds like!

One by one, however, the scherzo became gradually less demonic. In comparison with its three predecessors, all in minor keys, the Fourth in

E major is a serene and radiant inspiration - even if something of the uncomfortable situation at Nohant with Gearge Sand and her children in the summer of 1842 seems to show through from time to time. No one could argue that the opening section, with its five or six thematic components capriciously shuffled and reshuffled, is anything but brilliantly entertaining. The late entry of a new theme in duple-time rhythms gently crossing the prevailing triple-time metre, is a particularly delightful event. But then there is the pìu lento middle section in C sharp minor which seems to suggest, in its confiding sort of way, that the emotional reality is not so cheerful. If that is true, perhaps it is confirmed on the return of the E major material by those new details in harmony and colouring which hint that there might now be just a touch of petulance mingled with the capriciousness. And is the coda merely impetuous or just a little angry?