# Scherzo!



## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

What fun and jest! What humor! Or horror!

*What are you favorite scherzi, regardless of -zo or -zando?*


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

Well, let us start with an obvious one, for good reason too.


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I've always been fond of the third movement (Scherzo vivace) from Dvorak's 7th symphony. To me that's quintessential Dvorak.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Mahler + scherzo = heaven.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

I don't like taking pieces/movements out of context so I will choose a complete work...

Josef Suk - Scherzo Fantastique


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

I'll follow Becca's lead and post a standalone Scherzo also, one of my favorite piano pieces:


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The four Piano Scherzos by Chopin.

Curiously refreshing!


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Two rather dissimilar scherzi that I particularly like are those from Schumann's Symphony no.3 and Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphoses.


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## GGluek (Dec 11, 2011)

Beethoven: String Quartets Opp. 18 no. 6, 127, 135
Brahms: B-flat Piano Cto.
Tippett: String Quartet No. 2


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## DiesIraeCX (Jul 21, 2014)

My three favorite symphonic Scherzos. Seriously, no joke!

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 "Scherzo: Molto Vivace" - My favorite of all Scherzos
Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 "Scherzo: Bewegt, Lebhaft" - A very close contender for my favorite
Mahler: Symphony No. 6 "Scherzo: Wuchtig"


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

Once upon a time........Schubert's 9th.........the end.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I of course like Beethoven symphony 9 scherzo. I also enjoy many of Bruckner's scarcely scherzi.


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## DiesIraeCX (Jul 21, 2014)

scratchgolf said:


> Once upon a time........Schubert's 9th.........the end.


scratchgolf, long time no talk, man! Thought you should know I've been listening to _a lot_ of Schubert as of late.  The piano sonatas, Impromptus, Klavierstücke, solo piano works, Arpeggione Sonata, piano trios, etc. I think I've listened to the first Klavierstücke of D. 946 at least ten times this week, haha.

If I may give one recommendation, I really enjoy Andreas Staier's fortepiano performances of Schubert's works. You should check them out when you get the chance, I recently picked up the D. 894 "Fantasie" piano sonata and D. 935 Impromptus.


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## trazom (Apr 13, 2009)

Favorites, by composer:

Mendelssohn- Scherzo from A Midsummer Night's Dream: 




Beethoven- Sonata #18 op.31 No. 3- 




Alkan-op39 No. 3: 




Schumann- Piano quintet, third movement: 




Schubert's two scherzi for piano D.593: 









and my favorite of Chopin's 4, the first scherzo(just for that B major middle section):


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

DiesIraeVIX said:


> My three favorite symphonic Scherzos. Seriously, no joke!
> 
> Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 "Scherzo: Molto Vivace" - My favorite of all Scherzos
> Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 "Scherzo: Bewegt, Lebhaft" - A very close contender for my favorite
> Mahler: Symphony No. 6 "Scherzo: Wuchtig"


I second this.

All of LvBs are pretty terrific, was he not the first to create a scherzo and sub it in place of the minuet?


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## Chris (Jun 1, 2010)

It's not often you read through a thread and agree with every single post. All great suggestions.


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## Wunderhorn (Feb 15, 2013)

One of my favorite scherzi is from Edmund Rubbra, Symphony No. 2 - It is brilliant, the amount of energy and power is riveting.


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

Mahler 4 & 6 -- these are my two favourites by him, with the latter being one of most rhythmically exciting movements I know of.

Bruckner 8 & 9 (and 1!) -- I think the 9th is his most successful scherzo, somewhat tighter than that of the 8th, with the perhaps the most beautiful trio that he wrote.

Tchaikovsky 4 -- the pizzicato one. It may not be to everyone's taste but I think it's brilliant.

Beethoven 5 & 9 -- not much needs to be said here.

Brahms, 2nd piano concerto -- he simply nailed this movement.

Schumann, Quartet #2.

*Bonus:*

Rachmaninov, Scherzo in D minor -- a work from his childhood that's rather Mendelssohnian and rather enjoyable.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Martinu Symphony 1 and 4 have remarkable scherzos!


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)




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## shangoyal (Sep 22, 2013)

Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 - awesome scherzo, sublime trio


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Check out the Mendelssohn String Quartets if you want to hear awesome scherzi.


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

Because hearing this earlier today made me think of my own previous thread(!):

So slick, smooth, unmistakably Bartok úr - _joking_ around, Hungarian style...


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## Truckload (Feb 15, 2012)

Dvorak Scherzo Capriciosso - an awesome stand alone Scherzo. And this very competent performance is by a youth orchestra.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

The scherzo of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony 

(yes, I know!)


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The Mendelssohn String Quartets have some fine scherzi.

My favorite scherzi are the 4 for piano solo by Chopin.


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

This one'll sneak by you. That is, it takes awhile to think about. Err -- not a piece you would immediately think about with _scherzo_.

Why -- because the piece surprises: it is _not an intermezzo_; it is from a Russian; it is ever-quite familiar, so lest we ignore it; it seems so quick and simple. But this is nonetheless a permanent melody in your ear, no? Or, really, who can't recall the first or last time listening to this movement! Too much to love with it. Just glorious.


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## R3PL4Y (Jan 21, 2016)

Any Bruckner scherzo is good, but especially the ninth (although this seems to be about as far from the origin of the word as you can get)
Beethoven 9
Dvorak 7
Mahler 5
Schumann 4
Dvorak 9
Brahms 4
Best though is Mahler 3


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## drpraetorus (Aug 9, 2012)

Beethoven Sym 5&9
Dvorak Sym 9 (New World)
Shostakovich Sym 5 
Tchaikovsky Sym 6 mvt 2
Mozart Ein musikalischer Spaß




P.D.Q Bach Echo Sonata for Two Unfriendly Groups of Instruments








P.D.Q. Bach No-No Nonette


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Here's a scherzo that's the only thing by its composer that's still played -- and quite fine it is. Henry Litolff's Scherzo from his Concerto Symphonique No. 4.


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

Scherzo of today:


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## Totenfeier (Mar 11, 2016)

Albert7 said:


> Mahler + scherzo = heaven.


Mahler + scherzo = Hell, depending (viz. #2, 3rd movement _et al_).


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Britten Violin Concerto has been mentioned?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I have a soft spot for the scherzo from Beethoven's Eroica Symphony.

Just what the doctor ordered after such an intense, serious funeral march.


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