Scherzo no.2 - Chopin, Frederic - PTNA Piano Music Encyclopedia

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Chopin, Frederic : Scherzo no.2

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Work Overview

Music ID : 467

Composition Year：1834　
Publication Year：1837
First Publisher：Wessel, Schlesinger
Dedicated to：la Comtesse Adèle de Fürstenstein
Instrumentation：Piano Solo　
Genre：scherzo
Total Playing Time：9 min 30 sec
Copyright：Public Domain

scherzo

Piano Solo

piano solo

b moll

Commentary (3)

Author : Oshima, Kazumi

Last Updated: March 3, 2022

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Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

Frédéric Chopin's Scherzos

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) composed four standalone works titled Scherzo during his lifetime: Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20; Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31; Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39; and Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54.

The term "Scherzo" (Italian for "joke" or "humor") originates from Italian. In music history, from the 1780s onwards, it began to be used as a middle movement in multi-movement forms such as symphonies and chamber music.

Musical characteristics of the Scherzo often include a 3/4 time signature and a lively tempo, largely following the features of the minuet, which was frequently inserted as a middle movement. They are often written in ternary form (A-B-A) or compound ternary form, with the middle section (trio) featuring a melody contrasting with the preceding and following sections. Following this tradition, Chopin also incorporated scherzos into works such as his Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 35; Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 58; and Piano Trio, Op. 8.

In addition to these, Chopin attempted to complete the Scherzo as a standalone work, pioneering new ground in the history of piano music. It can be said that the Scherzo, conceived by Chopin as an independent piano piece, became one of the musical genres perfected as an art form.

The four Scherzos are fundamentally structured with fast tempos, 3/4 time, and ternary form, but their forms are more complex, with some approaching sonata form. Emotional and expressive qualities, along with the demand for high technical skill, are also among their primary characteristics.

Chopin did not explicitly state the specific meaning or philosophy behind these Scherzos. However, their titles and the clear "light and shadow" structure of the pieces hint at a connection to the literary and artistic trends of the 19th century.

In the late 18th century, dissatisfaction with the traditional absolutist regimes grew in Europe, leading to an awakening of "freedom." Innovative activities flourished in the realm of expression, and in literature, works freely and explicitly expressing emotions such as love, ideals, disappointment, and disillusionment began to be written. Attempts to define humor and wit also took place within this context.

Literary figures across Europe expressed various views on the meaning of humor. For example, the German writer Jean Paul (1763-1825) states:

For humor, there are no individual follies or individual fools; there is only folly and a foolish world. (...) If man looks down upon this world from an unearthly realm, this world appears petty and vainly bustling. If, as humor does, one measures the infinite world by the scale of this small world and connects it with the small world, laughter arises, and in this laughter, there is still a certain pain and a certain greatness.

The human being, laughing and crying between two opposing emotions or two dimensions, is one of the main themes of wit in the Romantic era. It is even a strong irony directed at humans who, despite the beautiful world shown by God, cannot escape from a reality steeped in desire.

These words will be a great hint in understanding Chopin's Scherzos. The four Scherzos prove that Chopin understood the concept of wit, as contemplated by literary figures, more deeply than anyone else.

Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31

Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor was composed in Paris in 1837 and published in the same year. Around this time, Chopin was in distress due to his romance with Miss Maria Wodzińska (1819-1896) and its subsequent breakup. As a musician, he was successful and spent a busy time as a pianist, composer, and music teacher. Composed amidst these circumstances, Scherzo No. 2 is one of Chopin's most famous and frequently performed works. Wilhelm von Lenz (1809-1883), a student of Chopin, witnessed Chopin's beloved pupil Karl Filtsch (1830-1845) skillfully perform this piece and described it as a "soul-stirring piece." Schumann (1810-1856) also stated that it is "as gentle, bold, loving, and contemptuous as a poem by Lord Byron."

A characteristic feature of this work is its richness in Chopin's unique fickle emotional expression. Contrasting emotions such as a whispering introduction, sudden outbursts of passion within a calm tone, and meditation and awakening are vividly expressed through modulation and rapid passages.

Presto, 3/4 time. Lenz states that the opening unison arpeggio in B-flat minor and its counter-phrase are a "question" and a "nihilistic answer" to it. Following the mysterious and emotional "question and answer," eighth notes play rapid descending and ascending passages alternately at ff and pp, leading to the development of a brilliant theme in D-flat major. Although Chopin deliberately indicates con anima, the theme, played over the light accompaniment in the left hand, is not only elegant but also conveys beautiful vibrancy and heart-pounding joy.

In the middle section, the mood abruptly shifts, and a mysterious musical idea unfolds in A major, contrasting sharply with the brilliant and dynamic exposition. Regarding this middle section, Leichtentritt described it as "emerald green, shining like a mirror of a calm forest lake." Here, a meditative melody is followed by elements such as a Sicilienne and a Waltz, appearing sequentially (Tomaszewski). After these are repeated, the musical character suddenly and dramatically changes. The melody, initially presented with brilliance and elegance, reappears with an intensity that seems like a furious outburst, returning to the enigmatic introduction. In the coda, the descending motif from the first theme is fervently repeated in a varied form, and a high F brilliantly announces the conclusion of the piece.

References

ショパンスケルツォ集: New Edition 解説付（大嶋かず路解説）、東京：音楽之友社、2015年。
Huneker, James, Chopin: The Man and His Music, New York: Dover Publications, 1966.
Leichtentritt, Hugo, Frédéric Chopin, Berlin: Harmonie, 1905.
Tomaszewski, Mieczysław, Chopin: Człowiek, Dzieło, Rezonans, Kraków: Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, 2005.
Willeby, Charles, Frederic François Chopin, London: Sampson low, Marston & Company, 1892.
The 18th Chopin Piano Competition/Compositions https://chopin2020.pl/en/compositions

Writer: Oshima, Kazumi

Author : Asayama, Natsuko

Last Updated: July 1, 2008

[Open]

Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

There are several ways to observe the styles Chopin employed in his piano works, but one possible classification is into lyrical and narrative categories. Representative examples of the former are the Nocturnes and Mazurkas, while typical examples of the latter are the Ballades and Scherzos.

In lyrical compositions, phrases and motifs are often presented in a list-like manner, with very loose connections, whereas in narrative compositions, one can perceive a sense of kishōtenketsu (introduction, development, turn, and conclusion) within a single piece. The reason for this clear dramatic quality is, firstly, the distinct harmonic progression, particularly the well-adhered-to dominant-tonic pattern (the progression from 'turn' to 'conclusion'). Furthermore, individual motives may develop through techniques such as variation, inversion, repetition, and expansion; even without the elaborate workmanship found in Viennese Classical sonatas, multiple themes are intricately combined to construct the piece.

In other words, works with a narrative structure, such as the Ballades, Scherzos, Barcarolle, and Bolero, create a dynamic and dramatic musical time that progresses inevitably from beginning to end, and these elements serve as key points for appreciation. (As an aside, in lyrical works, the listener's ear is allowed to wander within a musical space, as it were, where the music lingers while subtly transforming, with no clear sense of return or progression.)

Now, where lies the difference between the Ballades and Scherzos, of which four pieces each remain?

It is most evident from the music itself that these are adjacent genres within Chopin's oeuvre. Furthermore, it seems almost impossible to clearly distinguish between the two genres based on their form. This is partly because they are genres unique to Chopin; even examining the traditions of the genres from which they are thought to derive reveals no clear connection between them. However, even if they cannot be distinguished by their external musical form, their musical content, or rather, the content of their 'narrative,' differs somewhat.

The term Scherzo means 'joke' in Italian, and traditionally referred to a bright, light, and small-scale piece in a simple form.Beethoven incorporated it into the third movement of his sonatas as a substitute for the minuet, it was also given an extremely rapid and humorous character. Chopin's Scherzos, at first glance, seem to completely contradict this tradition, being dark, serious, and large in scale. However, when compared to the Ballades, it becomes clear how much humor the Scherzos actually contain. In all four Scherzos, more than one extremely rapid and leggiero motif appears, interjecting at various points. Furthermore, intense dynamic contrasts are specified in each section.

Such techniques are largely absent in the Ballades. Each motif and each note is bound by its preceding and succeeding context, allowing no deviation. Somber themes appear one after another, accumulating to form a torrent, ultimately leading to a catastrophic conclusion. This stands in contrast to the Scherzos, which resolve this kind of stress with lighthearted motifs and even comical contrasts.

It is worth noting that all four Ballades are written in compound duple meter, while the Scherzos are in triple meter, which could be considered their only external distinguishing feature. However, since most of the Scherzos form a phrase in two measures throughout, they still contain the strong driving force of a duple meter.

Scherzo Form and Chopin's Sonatas

The Scherzo takes an A-B-A form. This follows the tradition of the scherzo as a substitute for the minuet movement, as used by Haydn and Beethoven. However, the appearance of two contrasting themes in the A section, and the almost complete repetition of the first half in the second half of the A section, indicate an inclination towards sonata form. Furthermore, a brilliant coda, including a stretto, further increases the scale and elevates the dignity of the piece.

Viewed in this way, Chopin's Scherzos can be considered as inheriting and elaborating upon the formal stature of the third movement of piano sonatas perfected by Beethoven. On the other hand, in his own Piano Sonatas No. 2 and No. 3, he took a step away from the Viennese Classical tradition by placing the scherzo in the second movement. Particularly in No. 2, Op. 35, a large-scale scherzo with multiple themes is employed. Chopin likely did not write the Scherzos as character pieces and name them as such. Rather, they were a stepping stone for his own sonatas.

Scherzo No. 2

The Second Scherzo begins in B-flat minor, a key Chopin favored for serious or profound works, yet it consistently maintains a touch of brightness. In the coda, it modulates to the parallel major, D-flat major, and concludes brilliantly.

The reason this piece does not lose its brightness is the abundant insertion of delicate ornamental motifs, such as the opening unison triplets, the chromatic scale just before the second theme, the figuration at the end of the second theme, and the right-hand arpeggios in the middle section marked 'delicatissimo' (with utmost delicacy). However, these are not merely discarded as means of technical display; they function as parts of an elaborate motivic development. That is, every motif and figuration has some relation to the themes in other sections. Consequently, even a lengthy piece approaching 800 measures does not become diffuse.

However, it is also true that despite the complete repetition of the first and second themes in the outer sections, the piece never bores the listener, largely due to the unparalleled beauty of its melodies. This somewhat persistent repetition is likely an expression of Chopin's pride and confidence as a masterful melodist.

Writer: Asayama, Natsuko