A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Scherzando

by J. A. Fuller-Maitland

SCHERZANDO, SCHERZOSO, playful, lively; a direction of frequent occurrence, indicating a passage of a light and cheerful character. It is occasionally used, in combination with some other direction, to indicate the style of a whole movement, as Allegro scherzando, Allegretto scherzando (Beethoven, Symphony No. 8), etc., but its more usual and characteristic application is to a phrase which is to be played in a lively manner, in contrast to the rest of the movement or to some other phrase. In such passages, as a rule, the time is intended to be taken more freely than usual, while any marks of phrasing which occur should be strictly adhered to. In fact the phrasing of a scherzando passage is of paramount importance, for by it alone can the proper character be given.—The word is found, where one would little expect it, in the 'Et vitam venturi' of Beethoven's Mass in D, near the beginning, in the old editions; but on reference to Breitkopf & Härtel's complete edition it turns out to have been read in error for sforzando!

[ J. A. F. M. ]