# Who wrote the best Scherzo(s)?



## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

If you can try to pick only one. It's more fun, challenging, and interesting to see other's top picks.

As for me:

*1*. Alkan- Scherzo Focoso Op. 47


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I know I sound like a broken record and I may as well get this one out of the way. Beethoven - Symphony No. 9, movement 2


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## nickgray (Sep 28, 2008)

Beethoven and Chopin. Hands down.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

Beethoven virtually defined what the Scherzo is. 

But Mendelssohn's from a Midsummer Night's Dream has to be one of the more remarkable.


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Dvorak Scherzo Capriccioso
Scherzo From symphonies No. 4, 7 and 9


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## Herr Direktor (Oct 18, 2009)

Mendelssohn is considered to have perfected the Scherzo, and his from Midsummer, the Octet, 1st piano trio, and the E minor string quartet are beyond compare.

Beethoven basically invented the scherzo with his first symphony. Others have written excellent scherzos (scherzi ? ) like Dvorak and even Tchaikowsky (even though he didn't call them scherzos)

HD


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## Fsharpmajor (Dec 14, 2008)

My favourite is the scherzo of Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Bruckner & Mahler composed some good ones too. I particularly like the hellish 2nd movt. of Bruckner 9 & the somewhat mischevious 2nd movt. of Mahler 4. 2nd movt. of Mahler 1 is also boisterous & rollicking, while the scherzos in his 10th seem more serious...


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

I'm not in general big fan of scherzos, but the Bruckner's scherzo from the ninth symphony is just awesome. It just has this cool, creepy atmosphere. Bruckner made also very annoying ones, like in symphonies 7th and 8th.


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## Herr Direktor (Oct 18, 2009)

Fsharpmajor said:


> My favourite is the scherzo of Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony.


True, but I think of that as more of an outburst of anger than a scherzo.


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## Praine (Dec 20, 2008)

Bruckner wrote the best Scherzos. 

See: Symphony No. 1 and Symphony No. 7.


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## Conor71 (Feb 19, 2009)

My favourite would be the Scherzo from Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 - Honorable mention to the famous Scherzo from Brahms Symphony No. 3.


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

Liszt wrote a few eclectic Scherzos.


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## Mephistopheles (Sep 3, 2012)

I thought this might be an interesting thread to revive, although I think we can discard the "best" and just select our favourites. I'm not that clued up about Scherzi, and many symphonic movements may well be some of my favourite Scherzi without me realising that that's what they are, but I think this would be my favourite hands-down anyway (the sound quality isn't so good, but it is Grimaud!):






That theme... just OOMPH! I'd recommend Sokolov's recording of the sonata.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Original poster Lukecash(who hasn't been around much these days) is right, Alkan wrote fantastic scherzos.


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## Lisztian (Oct 10, 2011)

Lukecash12 said:


> Liszt wrote a few eclectic Scherzos.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

^^^^^^
That Liszt!


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## Klavierspieler (Jul 16, 2011)




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## crmoorhead (Apr 6, 2011)

I'm loving this scherzo ATM:


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

One of the best Scherzo's ever written:


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I've got to agree with those who posted the Scherzo from Bruckner's 9th. Currently that is the best one I can think of.


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## Turangalîla (Jan 29, 2012)

Chopin's piano scherzos are very fine pieces of music indeed. I am quite surprised that they have not been mentioned. Each one is a masterpiece.


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

Haydn, if we consider his Menuets and Menuettos in his symphonies as "Scherzo"!

Glazunov (like his symphony No.3)

Also Rimsky-Korsakov, Symphony No. 1 in E minor - III. Scherzo. Vivace - Trio

Schumann Piano Quartet, Op. 47: II - Scherzo

Sibelius Symphony No.1 Scherzo Allegro.

And Dvorak Piano Trio No.2 3rd movement.

I'm not so sure about Bruckner. Most of the time I just ignore them, they're too loud for me! 

Surely you can find them on youtube, but I can't listen to them so I can't be sure of the quality of conducting. Therefore I don't risk spoiling these beautiful pieces with horrible performances!


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

I usually pay no attention to movement labels, so don't know if Prokofieff composed any. Seems like if he did, they'd be good ones.


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

Beethoven might have made the best scherzos, but it was Bruckner who took the scherzo to its utmost limits. Tchaikovsky made them the vechile of his emotions, and Mahler transformed the scherzo to something very strange and wonderful. I also like how Shostakovich sort of combined Tchaikovsky's and Mahler's approach in his scherzos.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Bruckner. He's the first one that comes to my mind, although needless to say others (especially Beethoven) wrote some awesome ones as well. But Bruckner comes to mind first because they often are my favorite parts of his symphonies while I sometimes have problems digesting especially his fourth movements.


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## Ramako (Apr 28, 2012)

Haydn invented scherzos, or rather replaced the minuet with them, first in the op. 33. These quartets contain my favourite scherzos, where it's a movement you actually look forward to rather than a preparation for the next one.

The exception is of course Beethoven's 9th second movement which is great, and big too.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

emiellucifuge said:


> Dvorak Scherzo Capriccioso
> Scherzo From symphonies No. 4, 7 and 9


Bwaha, yes, those are awesome scherzos, but the only thing is, not a single one of those symphony scherzos is _humorous_. They're all fiery and raging.

Behold, the composer with the most playful and joke-like of all scherzos:











The instruments even sound like they're laughing at certain points, particularly the woodwinds.

If these don't make you smile, I don't know what will.


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

I'm glad this thread has been revived. Scherzos are a great refreshment when you're mired in a larger thematic work. And on their own they are still substantial. One of the more versatile forms.


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

By the way, couldn't it be said that Mozart's musical joke is the greatest scherzo of all, at least in spirit?


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## Aviadkart (Jul 16, 2021)

Prokofiev piano concerto number 2


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## Enthalpy (Apr 15, 2020)

Proko's violin concerto 1. The 2nd movement is a scherzo.
By Hilary Hahn - By Julia Fischer​


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Turangalîla said:


> Chopin's piano scherzos are very fine pieces of music indeed. I am quite surprised that they have not been mentioned. Each one is a masterpiece.


I don't think they have any relation to the more ensemble-oriented composers' scherzos other than the fact they're titled "scherzo".


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Huh? 
3/4 fast tempo (usually in whole beats), often stormy and "breathless" character, roughly tripartite with a quieter central section. The only differences between Chopin's Scherzi and most of e.g. Beethoven's are that they are separate pieces, on a large scale and piano solo, otherwise they are closer in character to Beethoven scherzi than many classical menuets with their more relaxed tempo or romantic "intermezzi" like in Brahms' 1st or 3rd symphonies.
You are perceiving the most trivial and often accidental similarities (like that early Haydn mass and Eroica funeral march) and deny the most obvious similarities...


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## mparta (Sep 29, 2020)

For big orchestra big piece stuff, to me, the Schumann second symphony stands out. I choose to take the question as not relating to stand alones, like Chopin Scherzi, but I guess those count in the big picture.
Still, to hear the Vienna Phil with Sinopoli do that Schumann 2 is wonderful. Bernstein good too.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Kreisler jr said:


> 3/4 fast tempo (usually in whole beats), often stormy and "breathless" character, roughly tripartite with a quieter central section.


A lot of Chopin is like that actually. 




Robert Schumann (on Chopin's scherzo no.1): "How is 'gravity' to clothe itself if 'jest' goes about in dark veils?"



Kreisler jr said:


> You are perceiving the most trivial and often accidental similarities (like that early Haydn mass and Eroica funeral march) and deny the most obvious similarities...


I don't think they're accidental. (Look at the works' home key and the melodic similarities)
J. Haydn Mass in E flat: 



Beethoven Op.55/ii:


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

Praine said:


> Bruckner wrote the best Scherzos.
> 
> See: Symphony No. 1 and Symphony No. 7.


And especially Symphony No. 9.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Martinů: _Symphony No. 4, H. 305_ (_II. Scherzo. Allegro vivo. Trio. Moderato_)

A little excerpt:


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

I don't know, but Haydn wrote the best Menuettos (other than the Beethoven Eighth).


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

There are numerous Mendelssohn scherzi that I find so terrific.

But my specific entry is by Henry Litolff from his "Concerto Symphonique #4"


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Beethoven, Schubert, Bruckner, Shostakovich....Schumann, Mendelssohn good too


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Just a cranky quip: Listening to a Bruckner Scherzo is like watching Sisyphus.


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Do love the four from Chopin!


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## Cristian Lee (Aug 13, 2017)

*Anton Bruckner.*


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Cristian Lee said:


> *Anton Bruckner.*






This brings me smile everytime. cute & catchy.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)




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## Enthalpy (Apr 15, 2020)

*Bazzini's Ridda dei folletti* (Dance of the goblins) is a scherzo.
GS0sPNcst4U​Razvan Stoica should be far better known.


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)

I'd say Beethoven.


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