This piece has a somewhat checkered history, just to confuse the researcher. Originally scored for piano solo in 1913, it was apparently the second movement of a Piano Sonata in F which has now disappeared completely. Four years later, Bax 'rediscovered' the manuscript and—as was his wont at that time—orchestrated it under the title Scherzo Sinfonico. It was apparently never played in this version and underwent another transformation in 1920, this time being arranged for pianola—an unusual entry in Bax's already eccentric catalogue. Finally, it was reorchestrated in 1933 and renamed to Symphonic Scherzo. Unfortunately, its history is the most interesting thing about it—the music itself is relatively puerile and demonstrates none of the harmonic mastery which characterizes so much of the rest of the composer's work.

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