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.