Scherzo No.2 in B-flat minor Op.31
Scherzo Piano solo ~9 min
In brief

This Scherzo No.2 in B-flat minor projects a tense, theatrical character, alternating powerful outbursts with darker, more mysterious episodes that call for dramatic shaping rather than mere bravura. You will need to focus especially on Nuances (4.6/5) — here that means controlling very quick dynamic gradations between forte and piano so contrasted motifs remain clear — and on Octaves (4.1/5), which require a firm yet relaxed wrist and forearm motion to secure clarity and endurance in sustained passages. In Chopin's catalogue it is one of his piano-only scherzos and contributes to their reputation as dramatic, virtuosic works. I am not listing any specific recordings because I prefer to cite only references I can be certain about.

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Sheet music

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MusicCoach difficulty
73/100
Advanced
Likely range : 66–81/100
Confidence : 82% · high confidence
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
On the syllabus: Grade 7 ABRSM

Official level, taken from the exam syllabus.

Other syllabi : RCM Grade 9 · Trinity_London Grade 8 · AMEB Grade 7 · RCM Grade 8

Difficulty estimate by MusicCoach on a scale of 1 to 100.

Where this work sits
050100

Most works cluster between 45 and 65: a small score gap often marks a real step. The highlighted bar shows this work among those for the same instrument.

The MusicCoach difficulty measures a work's overall demands (technique, reading, stamina) on a shared 0-100 scale, consolidated from editorial and pedagogical reference points (Henle, exam syllabuses, curation) and our own analyses. It measures neither musical value nor the practice time YOU will need: two musicians of the same level can experience the same work very differently depending on their strengths (hands used to octaves, quick sight-reading…). The confidence reflects how many reference points sit behind the score and how well they agree — a lightly documented score is flagged “to validate”. For a truly personal bearing, the diagnostic and your space compare each work to YOUR estimated level, which the score alone cannot do.

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Difficulty sources
ABRSM (syllabus)
Grade 9
77/100 normalised
Henle Verlag
7
74/100 normalised
Combined exam syllabi
Grade 8
72/100 normalised · 2 obs.
ABRSM (syllabus)
Grade 7
66/100 normalised
Combined exam syllabi
Grade 7
66/100 normalised
MusicCoach curation
Grade 8
76/100 normalised
Relative difficulty
77%
Among Frédéric Chopin
90%
Era
40%
Genre
Estimated skills
Technique
Octaves
1
Technique
Staccato
1
Interpretation
Dynamics
2
Technique
Fast passages
2
Technique
General technique
1
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