As in all the years following the trip to Majorca, the "family group" consisting of Chopin, George Sand, and her two children, spent the summer of 1842 in the vacation house the writer had in Nohant. It was a year in which life smiled on Chopin. In the company of his adopted family, he moved to a more comfortable residence in Paris, in February he gave a concert at the Salle Pleyel, and his creative work at Nohant paid off handsomely.
Scherzo No. 4 in E major
From that fruitful year date the Ballade No. 4, the third impromptu, four mazurkas and the last of the scherzos, No. 4, in E major, opus 54. This is the less frequently performed scherzo because of its very different character compared to Chopin's earlier works in the form, pieces that arouse greater enthusiasm among performers. In this work, the Polish composer offers us a more whimsical work, with greater panache or elegance rather than intimacy or depth.
A "real" scherzo
Indeed, it is the most radiant, joyful, and lively of his four scherzos, in keeping with the meaning of the Italian word scherzo: play or joke.
The piece shows a ternary structure, that is, two themes and a return to the first theme with witty modifications. The middle section (second theme) contains a beautiful and inspired melody with the occasional hint of nostalgia or sadness, typical of the composer's most intimate music, traits that are barely hinted at here. The piece culminates with a brilliant ending.
The work was published in Paris in 1843 and in London in 1845. Both editions are dedicated, one for each, to the Miss Caraman sisters, Chopin's pupils in those years.
The rendition is by the Polish pianist Raphael Blechacz.
