Chopin Scherzi:
Frédéric Chopin: Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39 gathers extreme contrasts into a drama of high tension: racing octave chains, sparkling figurations and an almost orchestral outer frame stand opposite a solemn, chorale-like middle section. The clear A–B–A architecture feels less episodic than inevitable — like an inner arc of tension that resolves only in the radiant major-mode ending known as a Picardy third. Composed in 1839, begun during the winter of 1838/39 in Mallorca and completed in France, the work is one of Chopin’s most concentrated and effective concert pieces.
Work data and form
Basic data
- Composer: Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
- Title: Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39
- Tempo: Presto con fuoco
- Time signature: predominantly 3/4
- Genesis: 1839; begun during the winter of 1838/39 in Valldemossa, Mallorca
- First publication: 1840 – Paris (Troupenas), Leipzig (Breitkopf & Härtel), London (Wessel)
- Dedication: Adolphe Gutmann
- Duration: approx. 7–8 minutes
Form & structure
Expanded scherzo form A–B–A + coda: a highly energetic C-sharp minor outer frame with a striking octave gesture shapes the outer sections. The middle section, enharmonically D-flat major, appears chorale-like, broadly drawn and calm in texture. Reprise and coda condense the opening material and lead into a surprisingly clear major-mode ending, the Picardy third.
Genesis & context
Valldemossa 1838/39: resonance space without programmatic meaning
Chopin began work on Scherzo No. 3 during his stay at the Carthusian monastery of Valldemossa in Mallorca. The winter of 1838/39 was marked by illness, isolation and difficult climatic conditions. Unlike the first Scherzo, however, no direct political or programmatic references can be demonstrated.
The place functions instead as a historical resonance space: seclusion, massive architecture, weather and confinement form a plausible background for the work’s extreme polarity — without fixing the music to concrete extra-musical images.
In this context, Chopin’s so-called “Raindrop” Prelude, Op. 28 No. 15, is often mentioned as well, since it too is associated with Valldemossa. While the Prelude shapes monotonous recurrence in miniature form, Scherzo No. 3 appears as a large-scale unfolding of the same fundamental tension: outer unrest versus inner concentration.
Performance & reception
A formal premiere date is not documented; immediately after publication, the work became established in concert life. Early reviews emphasized the dramatic intensification of the outer frame and the solemn calm of the middle section — a contrast that remains central to the work’s effect today.
Reference recordings selection
- Alfred Cortot – historical recordings (APR/Hyperion)
- Vladimir Horowitz – studio and live recordings, including 1957
- Arthur Rubinstein – The Chopin Scherzos (RCA, 1959)
- Sviatoslav Richter – cycles with all four Scherzi
- Claudio Arrau – complete recordings
- Maurizio Pollini – DG editions
- Martha Argerich – concert recordings
Visual representation
Artistic visualization by Evgenia Fölsche:
The artistic representation refers to the Charterhouse of Valldemossa in Mallorca — the place still associated with Chopin’s winter in Mallorca.
Architecture, stone and light appear like a silent layer of memory: a monastic space in which retreat, concentration and inner tensions gather.
Against this background, the music gains narrative depth — between eruptive drama and the solemn, almost sacred breath of the chorale section.
The image does not offer simple “illustration”, but a resonance space: Valldemossa as a symbol of inwardness, storms outside and a clarity that opens at the end into a bright final light.
Music-theoretical analysis
Dramaturgy and compositional writing
The exposed octave gesture at the beginning functions as a structural motto and shapes both reprise and coda. By contrast, the middle section works with homophonic writing and clear voice leading — breadth instead of urgency, stillness instead of motoric drive.
Tonal and tension plan
- Outer frame: C-sharp minor – chromaticism, dominant tension, sequences
- Middle: enharmonically D-flat major – tonal brightening, hymn-like character
- Coda: condensation and turn toward the Picardy third in C-sharp major
Expression & interpretation
Scherzo No. 3 is often read as the confrontation of two spheres: outer drive and inner concentration. The middle section appears like a suspended core — memory, prayer or vision — enclosed by the highly energetic outer frame. The bright final turn does not make the work end triumphantly, but clarified: as overcoming, not victory.
Evgenia Fölsche – performances & recording
Pianist Evgenia Fölsche has performed and recorded Chopin’s Scherzo No. 3 several times. Her interpretation emphasizes organic tempo relationships, a vocally sustained chorale cantilena and clear, never overemphasized octave gestures.
Music & contact
Evgenia Fölsche plays Frédéric Chopin’s Scherzo No. 3:
Would you like to program Chopin: Scherzo No. 3 in a recital? Contact Evgenia Fölsche.
Frequently asked questions about Chopin: Scherzo No. 3, Op. 39
Click on a question to reveal the answer.
What makes Scherzo No. 3 special?
The contrast between a vehement, octave-driven outer gesture (Presto con fuoco) and a solemn chorale-like cantilena in D-flat major. The musical tension culminates in a bright major-mode ending, the Picardy third.
How long is the piece and how demanding is it?
About 7–8 minutes. Technically demanding (octaves, chordal attacks, wide registers, arpeggios) and interpretatively challenging (sound balance, economical pedaling, formal arc).
Which editions are recommended?
The Polish National Edition (PWM), Henle Urtext, and critically annotated reprints of the first editions from Paris, Leipzig and London; they document articulation and pedal variants.
When was the work composed and published?
Composed in 1839; published in 1840 in Paris by Troupenas, Leipzig by Breitkopf & Härtel, and London by Wessel.
Questions about programming, choice of edition or interpretation? Get in touch without obligation.
Sources
- LA Phil – work commentary on Scherzo No. 3, Op. 39. Path: laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/3165/scherzo-no-3-op-39
- AllMusic – work profile. Path: allmusic.com/composition/…mc0002364214
- University of Chicago – Chopin First Editions, first publications in 1840. Path: chopin.lib.uchicago.edu/…/39.pdf
- NIFC / Chopin Institute – work page, dedication to Gutmann and context. Path: chopin2020.pl/…/scherzo-in-c-sharp-minor-op.-39
- IMSLP – Scherzo No. 3, Op. 39. Path: imslp.org/wiki/Scherzo_No.3,_Op.39
- Repertoire discography – Cortot, Horowitz, Rubinstein, Richter, Arrau, Pollini, Argerich; label and catalogue entries, reissues.
