scherzo

American  

[skert-soh] / ˈskɛrt soʊ /

noun

Music.

plural

scherzos, scherzi

1. a movement or passage of light or playful character, especially as the second or third movement of a sonata or a symphony.

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scherzo British  

/ ˈskɛətsəʊ /

noun

1. a brisk lively movement, developed from the minuet, with a contrastive middle section (a trio) See minuet

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Etymology

Origin of scherzo

First recorded in 1850–55; from Italian: literally, “joke,” derivative of scherzare “to joke,” of Langobardic origin (compare German Scherz “a joke, jest”)

Explanation

A scherzo is a very fast section of classical music, often within a larger composition. A scherzo is usually upbeat and sometimes even humorous. The plural form of scherzo is scherzi. Many symphonies and sonatas include scherzi, often in their second or third movements. The scherzo developed from the minuet, another lively musical form which itself came from a French dance. In Italian, scherzo means "joke" or "sport," from the root word scherzare, "to jest or joke," and this describes the lighthearted mood of many scherzi.

Example Sentences

His scherzo had a wonderfully light air about it.

From New York Times • Sep. 30, 2022

These were followed by Klaus Simon’s exquisite 2007 chamber arrangement of Mahler’s fourth symphony of 1901, its swinging scherzo further altered by Gil-Ordóñez and PostClassical executive producer Joseph Horowitz to make way for Taylor.

From Washington Post • Apr. 21, 2022

The scherzo, too, was uniquely dispatched, the conductor switching between characters on his stage, especially during its ravishing trio.

From Washington Post • Feb. 18, 2022

They had to make decisions, like determining whether a sketch indicated the starting point of a scherzo, which is a very lively part of the symphony, typically in the third movement.

From Salon • Oct. 9, 2021

And then what does that irritating Lætitia Wilson do but say suddenly, "I'm quite ready for the scherzo, dear, if you are."

From Somehow Good by De Morgan, William Frend