Description
Scherzo No.3 combines a powerful octave-driven main theme with a more restrained, chorale-like middle section. In that middle section, cascading arpeggios ripple beneath the chorale like a shimmering decoration, giving the passage a distinctive transparency. Performing it requires precise handling of octave passages and the structural sense to navigate its dramatic shifts of character.
Works in scherzo form, known for its playful character, including Chopin's four scherzos that blend wit with dramatic power.
About the Composer
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Frederic Chopin was born in Poland and made his career in Paris, remaining unusual among great composers for writing almost exclusively for piano. He poured his longing for his homeland into mazurkas and polonaises, while his ballades and etudes combine poetic melody with harmonic innovation. This site includes 131 of his works, including the "Revolutionary" Etude, Op. 10, No. 12, and Ballades No. 1 and No. 4.
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