LDV14

You end your recordingwith the Fourth Scherzo and the Barcarolle, two works that very often feature on your recital programmes. I nurse a great passion for the Fourth Scherzo, which constitutes a world in itself. Here too, one is dumbfounded by the modulations, the harmonic inspirations, and . . . let’s say, an illusion of permanent improvisation. Yet the work is admirably constructed, and analysis shows that it follows perfectly classical phrase structures. But I’ve noticed that certain listeners are sometimes rather taken aback by this work in which the textures give the impression that they are created and deconstructed as one goes along. In that respect, the Scherzo in E major seems to me very Debussyan, with its sudden breaks, its whimsical side, and its agile, fast, sparkling arabesques. How can one not think of a piece like, say, Poissons d’or ? After the three earlier scherzos, which were dramatic and violent, this one presents a very Italian luminosity and a magical lightness. And what a sublime trio section! There you have what is already a sort of barcarolle, and moreover in virtually the same tempo as the Barcarolle op.60. 24 CHOPIN