No. 5 Capriccio in C-sharp minor

It is the first piece in the second collection and is believed to have been composed around 1878. As indicated by the German instruction at the beginning, "Sehr aufgeregt, doch nicht zu schnell" (very agitated, but not too fast), it is a vigorous piece, striking octaves, a stark contrast to the preceding work. It belongs to the larger-scale pieces within this collection and is considered a relatively difficult work in terms of piano technique. A characteristic feature is the multi-layered treatment of rhythm: while the 6/8 time signature in the opening theme is treated like 3/4 time, the subsequent octave-heavy theme is treated in two beats. It concludes dramatically with a fortissimo.