Balakirev's debt to Chopin is at its clearest in such pieces as the Scherzo No 1 in B minor (1857 or earlier). In fact his penchant for the keys of B minor and B flat minor can surely be traced to Chopin’s first and second scherzos as well as to his second and third sonatas. Typically, Balakirev’s Scherzo adds glitter and sparkle to lyrical themes, rather than making glitter the substance (as Chopin so brilliantly did), and it features one of the flashiest codas in his output, preceded by some brilliant bariolage (dividing material between the hands to percussive effect, in a way derived from the violinistic technique of rapidly alternating fingered notes and open strings).
from notes by David Fanning © 2011
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