Scherzo 

Originally, the Italian term scherzo referred to a humorous or light-hearted musical piece. Beethoven imbued his scherzos with more energy than the minuet and trio movements they replaced.  Since the early 20th century, the scherzo has remained a quick moving piece with contrasting moods, and a psychological element often creeps in to make the movement somewhat unstable.

Composed in 1997, the Scherzo was recorded by the Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwartz, conducting, the following year.

“If there was any doubt that this piece doesn’t live up to its title, Greg Bullen’s Scherzo banishes it with its uninhibited opening. Cymbals crash, then a xylophone prances on stage and begins a lively dialogue with the orchestra. Just as suddenly, the tempo and dynamics both drop and a brief lyrical interlude ensues, persisting even when the brass enters and tries to signal a change in mood. Surprise! The calm persists until agitation on the strings wakes the beast. The unpredictability of this piece’s disparate elements contributes to its playful appeal.”  - Peter Bates from the 2003 MMC CD entitled Seattle Symphony Orchestra.

Duration: 6’05”

Preview of score – The full score is reproduced here. If you are interested in performing this work, please contact me.

Please note that scrolling through the file is not possible on a tablet or phone.