Not published until 1833, nine years after it was probably written, this two-part piece shows a strong influence of Carl Maria von Weber, at least in its first portion. The work begins with a quiet, gentle Andante, the melody initially rather simple yet decorated with the occasional bit of filigree. The section builds to a brief climax, which dies away into a bridge to the staccato Presto section in 6/8. The primary theme of this rondo is a readily identifiable Mendelssohn scherzo, quick, light, and mischievous. It alternates with related material that consistently maintains the quick pulse but sometimes takes on an almost Beethovenian gruffness in the bass. The exception to this is one brief central episode that recalls the Andante section. The otherwise sparkling Rondo culminates in a shower of passagework and ends with a few grandiose chords—not the sort of finale one expects from a composer typecast as a polite Victorian favorite.

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