Scherzi and Fantasy in F Minor

The Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, written between 1831 and 1832, is marked “Presto con fuoco”. The piece is very dark, dramatic, and lively. The Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, was composed and published in 1837, and described by Schumann as “overflowing with tenderness, boldness, love and contempt.” The Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor is the most tightly constructed and grandest of the four scherzos. His final Scherzo, No. 4 in E major, was written in 1842, is generally calmer, and is based on a Polish folk song. The Fantasy in F minor was composed in 1842, 7 years before Chopin’s death in Paris.