About this Piece

Several of Chopin’s large works came in fours, though not composed consecutively: there are four Impromptus, four Ballades, and the same number of Scherzos. And they are all extraordinary.

The Third Scherzo, composed in 1839, is a big-boned work but not nearly so large and complex as the B-flat-minor Scherzo. The simple opening sets the tone with its urgent octave passages which lead to a lovely section with a simple chorale melody interspersed with sprays of notes falling from on high. A somewhat complex ending relies on octaves for excitement and the piece ends in the major mode.