There are several ways to observe the styles Chopin employed in his piano works, but one possible classification is into lyrical and narrative categories. Representative examples of the former are the Nocturnes and Mazurkas, while typical examples of the latter are the Ballades and Scherzos.

In lyrical compositions, each phrase and melodic figure is often presented in a list-like manner, with very loose connections between them. In contrast, narrative compositions allow one to perceive a clear dramatic progression, akin to a 'kishōtenketsu' (introduction, development, turn, conclusion) within a single piece. This distinct dramatic quality arises, firstly, because the harmonic progressions are clear, and particularly the dominant-tonic pattern (the progression from 'turn' to 'conclusion') is well-maintained. Furthermore, individual motives may develop through techniques such as variation, inversion, repetition, and expansion. Even without the elaborate workmanship found in Viennese Classical sonatas, multiple themes are intricately combined to construct the piece.

In other words, works with a narrative structure, such as the Ballades, Scherzos, Barcarolle, and Bolero, generate a dynamic and dramatic musical time that propels inevitably from beginning to end. These elements constitute key points for appreciation. (As an aside, in lyrical works, the listener's ear is allowed to wander within a musical space where the music subtly transforms yet remains, with no clear sense of return or progression.)

Now, where do the differences lie between the Ballades and Scherzos, of which four pieces each remain?

It is evident from the music itself that these genres are closely related within Chopin's oeuvre. Furthermore, it seems almost impossible to clearly distinguish between the two genres based on their form. This is partly because these are genres unique to Chopin; even examining the traditions of genres from which they might have originated reveals no clear connection between them. However, even if they cannot be distinguished by their external musical form, their musical content—their 'narrative' content, so to speak—differs somewhat.

The term 'Scherzo' means 'joke' in Italian, and traditionally referred to short, light, and bright pieces in a simple form. When Beethoven incorporated it into the third movement of his sonatas as a substitute for the minuet, it was also given an extremely fast and humorous character. Chopin's Scherzos, at first glance, seem to completely contradict this tradition, being dark, serious, and large in scale. However, when compared to the Ballades, it becomes clear how much humor the Scherzos actually contain. In all four Scherzos, more than one extremely fast and leggiero motive appears, interjecting at various points. Furthermore, intense dynamic contrasts are specified in each section.

Such techniques are largely absent in the Ballades. Each motive and each note is bound by its preceding and succeeding context, allowing no deviation. Somber themes appear one after another, accumulating to form a torrent, ultimately leading to a catastrophic conclusion. This stands in contrast to the Scherzos, which alleviate this kind of stress with lighthearted melodic figures and even comical contrasts.

It is worth noting that all four Ballades are written in compound duple meter, while the Scherzos are in triple meter, which could be considered their only external distinguishing feature. However, since most of the Scherzos form a phrase every two measures throughout, they still contain the strong driving force of duple meter.

All Scherzos adopt an A-B-A form, following the Scherzo as a substitute for the minuet movement used by Haydn and Beethoven. However, the appearance of two contrasting themes in the A section, and the nearly complete repetition of the first half in the latter half of the A section, indicate an inclination towards sonata form. Furthermore, a brilliant coda, including a stretto, further increases the scale and elevates the dignity of the piece.

Viewed in this light, Chopin's Scherzos can be considered as inheriting and elaborating upon the formal stature of the third movement of the piano sonata perfected by Beethoven. On the other hand, in his own Piano Sonatas No. 2 and No. 3, he departed from the Viennese Classical tradition by placing the Scherzo as the second movement. Particularly in No. 2, Op. 35, a large-scale Scherzo with multiple themes is employed. Chopin likely did not write the Scherzos as character pieces and name them as such. Rather, they served as a groundwork for his own sonatas.

Scherzo No. 1

Scherzo No. 1 is one of the works written very early in his Vienna period.

In 1829, Chopin spent a summer in Vienna with fellow students, performing his own works to great acclaim. After returning home, he began to dream of achieving true success in the imperial city of Vienna, rather than in Warsaw where his individualistic works received a somewhat lukewarm response. He commenced preparations for two Piano Concertos and other large-scale works. Due to the political situation in Germany, his departure was postponed several times, and he finally crossed the border in November 1830. However, a few weeks later, an armed uprising occurred in Warsaw. His close friend Titus, who had accompanied him, returned to join the fight, but Chopin, persuaded by his parents and Titus, continued on to Vienna to fulfill his mission as an artist.

However, the loneliness of spending Christmas alone in Vienna, a stronghold of Catholicism, combined with the political instability in his homeland, drove Chopin to a profound sense of nostalgia. The Polish Christmas carol 'Lulajże Jezuniu' (Sleep, Little Jesus), which appears in the middle section of this Scherzo, is a direct manifestation of this.

The octave-leap figure that carries the melody here is, in fact, foreshadowed in the high register of the right hand at the end of the second theme of the A section. Nevertheless, the connection between the A and B sections is not as clear as a 'development section' in sonata form. Rather, everything—key, tempo, atmosphere—is contrasting, and they mutually enhance each other.

Regarding this work, Schumann, an enthusiastic supporter of Chopin, expressed his perplexity regarding the title, stating, 'How is "Seriousness" to be clothed if "Jest" goes about in a black veil?'