Marianna Shirinyan - Frederic Chopin: Ballades & Scherzi

Renowned Armenian-born pianist Marianna Shirinyan performs some of Chopin?s most fascinating and fiendish pieces: the four Ballades and four Scherzos. Chopin coined the term ?ballade?, harking back to medieval minstrels singing poetic ballads. His four Ballades are quite different in character, but share a sense of Romantic story-telling in their dramatic contrasts and virtuoso display. The first three of Chopin?s four Scherzos are fiery and dissonant; all four are exceptionally challenging. The Scherzo No. 1 is sometimes dubbed ?The Infernal Banquet? owing to its devilish character, which is juxtaposed with a central lullaby based on the Polish carol ?Sleep, little Jesus?. Schumann regarded Chopin?s Scherzo No. 2 as Byronic in the grandeur of its passion, and the Scherzo No. 3 is also remarkably daring, with an almost Wagnerian chorale. Chopin?s Scherzo No. 4 is the only one in a major key, yet its relatively serene nature, with fluid, whimsical twists and turns, also makes it one of the most demanding to play.