Your favorite Scherzi?

Mine has to be Mahler's Symphony No. 4 Scherzo:  (the video should start at 16:36)

For me it's the Scherzo from Beethoven's Harp Quartet, op.74: (starts at 18:03)

Not technically a scherzo, but it's in a multiple of 3/4 time and it's fast, so I'm putting it here. Please enjoy!

My favourite Scherzo would have to be Brahms' Scherzo in C Minor from the F-A-E Sonata:

Hope you like Russian heavy metal

Yes, Czerny: 

Yes, he again:

🙂

On 12/31/2022 at 2:05 PM, Omicronrg9 said:

Yes, Czerny: 

Yes!! I find the Scehrzo of his Piano Sonata no.1 abosultely amazing! And it's in my favourite key!! Really I just treated Czerny as a boring teacher since I've played so many of his studies when young, but I never know he was such an amazing composer! His piano works are amazing, and he's for sure a composer in his own right, rather than Beethoven's pupil and Liszt's teacher!

Favourites in that they fire me up one way or another! The tempestuous and threatening - and the jubilant.

Shostakovitch's 10th Symphony Scherzo - not alone with this one. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCypb--lv1M

The jubilant - the Allegro Molto Vivace from Tchaikovsky's Symphony 6. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RicAP5l_qr0

(A redering by Boult - far from the most lively. Look up Karajan's)

Play both LOUD.

Edited January 14, 20233 yr by Quinn

I mean really, I don't think there's a Scherzo that I haven't liked. But my favorites would definitely be Beethoven.

Like for instance this C minor Allegro from Piano Sonata no. 13 in Eb, not marked Scherzo, but very Scherzo-like in my opinion

Or this Scherzo that makes me dance every time I hear it:

Or this string quartet Scherzo that I used as background music in the introductory video of my Analysis from an Arranger's Perspective series, which kind of got put on hold(Didn't use this exact performance mind you, but I did use this Scherzo):

46 minutes ago, caters said:

Like for instance this C minor Allegro from Piano Sonata no. 13 in Eb, not marked Scherzo, but very Scherzo-like in my opinion

I like playing the latter half of it with the alternation of the two hands in a quick quaver speed!!!

47 minutes ago, caters said:

Or this Scherzo that makes me dance every time I hear it:

🔥🔥

47 minutes ago, caters said:

Or this string quartet Scherzo that I used as background music in the introductory video of my Analysis from an Arranger's Perspective series, which kind of got put on hold(Didn't use this exact performance mind you, but I did use this Scherzo):

Oh I am not that familiar with the op.18 quartets!! That's really interesting listening!

Henry

2 minutes ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

Oh I am not that familiar with the op.18 quartets!! That's really interesting listening!

I'm not really super familiar with the opus as a whole either, there's only really 2 quartets from the opus I'm very familiar with, the fourth in C minor(probably my favorite string quartet in general out of the entire opus) and this one, the sixth in Bb.

18 minutes ago, caters said:

I'm not really super familiar with the opus as a whole either, there's only really 2 quartets from the opus I'm very familiar with, the fourth in C minor(probably my favorite string quartet in general out of the entire opus) and this one, the sixth in Bb

Yes that C minor is my favourite too!!! Love that banging power of that sforzandos in the first movement, the fugal opening of the slow movement and the energy in the last which ends up humorously in a Mozartian manner. Other than this I am only familiar with the first movement of the F major and A major one. I remember there is a "melancholia" movement in the Bb one though.

For me, Mendelssohn is simply the best for scherzo. Here are my favourites:

7 hours ago, Camfrtt said:

For me, Mendelssohn is simply the best for scherzo. Here are my favourites:

Mendelssohn's youthful energy is always amazing and it is best shown in his Scherzo. His simplicity and directness matches the early definition of a Scherzo. I love his scherzo of his String Quartet no.5. I learn his technique to my own Scherzo of the Clarinet Quintet:

The one is also one of my favourite one of his:

The Rondo Capriccioso one is really tricky to play!!

Henry

Beethoven E-flat major Piano Sonata (the less famous quasi una fantasia), the Molto allegro e vivace movement (not named scherzo but it the spirit of), those syncopations really caught me off guard the first time I heard it
(EDIT: oops mentioned multiple times already)

I won't repeat again, but yes Czerny's A flat major piano sonata's "scherzo" movement is amazing.

Chopin's Piano scherzi 3 and 4. the 3rd is immediately captivating and leaves no room for boredom, but the 4th is actually light-hearted (at least for a significant portion of the piece which I can repeat over and over for my own pleasure).

https://www.youtube.com/embed/SbtvChXFhyI?start=1734

Scherzo from Schumann's piano quintet. Feels refreshing after the sombre funeral march. for some reason the viola part playing the scherzo's upward motif got stuck in my mind forever

https://www.youtube.com/embed/UQQxpJ7Pn1g?start=1093

Scherzo from Schubert's string quintet. Yes I'm biased, double cello ftw. Very good use of the viols' capabilities.

Edited May 16, 20232 yr by PCC

G'day @PeterthePapercomPoser,

If I had to give you just one answer, Chopin's Scherzo Op. 20 No. 1 in B minor is one of my favourite pieces of music, period. I love the dark atmosphere that sets it apart from most other scherzos. Aside from that, I can never get enough of the coda!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOessAXp9bw&t=529s&ab_channel=gullivior

Other honourable mentions include (no particular ranking here; just in alphabetical order based on the name of the composer):

Alkan – Scherzo Focoso, Op. 34

Glazunov – Symphony Op. 5, No. 1 in E Major, II. (Allegro)

Mendelssohn – Piano Trio Op. 66, No. 2 in C minor, III. (Molto allegro quasi presto)

Moszkowski – Piano Concerto Op. 3, No. 1 in B minor, III. (Molto vivace)

Raff – Piano Quartet Op. 202, No. 2 in C minor, II. (Allegro)

Scharwenka – Piano Concerto Op. 32, No. 1 in B-flat minor, II. (Allegro assai)

Tchaikovsky – Symphony Op. 74, No. 6 in B minor, III. (Allegro molto vivace)

Tchaikovsky – Souvenir de Florence Op. 70, III. (Allegretto moderato)

Here's another scherzo for y'all's - Brahms Scherzo in Eb minor Op. 4:

I notoriously prefer outer movements…..but i think my favorite scherzos is probably bruckner 7.  Interesting because Bruckner is otherwise often times a very ponderous, plodding composer.  but i remember the first time i heard it, the big augmented chord really hit.  it manages to have energy and pace but be sort of noble simultaneously.

I also think Bruckner 4 is a great scherzo, the quartal moments with the horns really adds to the vibe.

Edited May 18, 20241 yr by gaspard

Luigi Cherubini - String Quartet No. 1 in Eb major - Scherzo

My favorite Scherzi would have to be this: 

Chopin: Scherzo Op.20 No.1 in B minor

I love the thematic materials that chopin uses in this one. How those themes transform throughout the entire composition. It just amazing. 

Luigi Cherubini - String Quartet No. 2 in C major - Scherzo

Oh, my favourite scherzi?

3. Ludwig Van Beethoven: Op.2 No.2, Sonata No.2 in A Major, Movement 2 Scherzo in A Major.

2. Frederyk Chopin: Op. 39, Scherzo No.3 in C Sharp Minor.

1. Frederyk Chopin:Op. 35, Sonata no.2 in B Flat Minor, Movement 2 Scherzo in E Flat Minor.