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This piece does not follow the conventional form of a scherzo, but is constructed, instead, along the lines of sonata principle. However, it is a serially organized sonata structure in which a conflict between the absence and presence of a key has replaced the traditional conflict between one key and another. This lends itself to metaphorical interpretation here as a conflict between humorous and sentimental moods. Ironically, the sentimental theme has the driest of sources, since it is derived from the first eight digits of π. When put into the order 3.1415926, a series of notes rising in semitonal steps from the note E produces the following:
F# (3) – E (1) – G (4) – Db (10) – Ab (5) – C (9) – Fn (2) – An (6)
The hawk-eyed will spot a little cheating: the digit 10 has been substituted for the repeatedappearance of the digit 1. The formal outline of the scherzo is as follows: Introduction, Allegro non troppo; Exposition, Allegro commodo, beginning bar 10 (2nd theme, con molto sentimento, bar40); Development beginning bar 63; Recapitulation beginning bar 113; Coda beginning bar 137.
First performed Middleton Hall, University of Hull (Bernie Cash, double bass; Derek Scott, Piano).