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Chopin published his Scherzi nos. 1–3 at more-or-less regular intervals, in 1835, 1837 and 1840 almost as if he'd planned them in advance. He published his fourth and final work in this genre after a further three years, in 1843. When compared with its predecessors, which were largely bleak in mood, this Scherzo no. 4 is surprisingly cheerful. With its sparkling runs and its chains of chords like dappled brush strokes, this work seems to summon up the fairy-like spirit of Mendelssohn’s scherzi. In editorial terms, however, it is problematical. Three parallel first editions were published –in Germany, France and England –and the many variants between them have to be investigated one at a time to determine their authenticity. This is a task that has been solved meticulously in this revised, stand-alone Urtext edition, which explains the transmission of this work in an exemplary, transparent manner for today's pianists.
