scherzo
noun
scher·zo
ˈskert-(ˌ)sō 
plural scherzos or scherzi
ˈskert-(ˌ)sē
: a sprightly humorous instrumental musical composition or movement commonly in quick triple time
Examples of scherzo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The energy was restored by a beefy, vivacious scherzo, boosted by sturdy bassoons and a gorgeous trio of horns.
—
Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024
The whimsical, bristling pizzicato-fest of the third movement scherzo would tickle any ASMR enthusiast — the dynamic gales blowing through the orchestra lifted harmonic swells to unexpected heights.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2023
The orchestra delivered a performance to take pride in, with the first few movements punctuated memorably by the precise and powerful timpani accents of percussionist Toby Grace; the second movement scherzo was light on its feet without sacrificing gravitas.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Aug. 2023
The scherzo was crisp and memorable, providing, like Bruckner’s similar movements, a complete contrast.
—Dan Hathaway, cleveland, 6 Aug. 2023
The tempo of the scherzo bordered on alarming, save for the group’s ability to bring out inner syncopations, shape rushing scales, and give every subsidiary theme its own character and detail.
—Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Aug. 2023
The scherzo and finale whizzed by with impressively taut coordination.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 31 July 2023
Even the scherzo, usually a lighter-hearted movement, is harmonically and rhythmically restless.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 6 July 2023
But trumpets were repeatedly too loud in balances, as occasionally were horns, although the latter made jolly sounds in their scherzo summonses.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 24 May 2023
Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024
The whimsical, bristling pizzicato-fest of the third movement scherzo would tickle any ASMR enthusiast — the dynamic gales blowing through the orchestra lifted harmonic swells to unexpected heights.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2023
The orchestra delivered a performance to take pride in, with the first few movements punctuated memorably by the precise and powerful timpani accents of percussionist Toby Grace; the second movement scherzo was light on its feet without sacrificing gravitas.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Aug. 2023
The scherzo was crisp and memorable, providing, like Bruckner’s similar movements, a complete contrast.
—Dan Hathaway, cleveland, 6 Aug. 2023
The tempo of the scherzo bordered on alarming, save for the group’s ability to bring out inner syncopations, shape rushing scales, and give every subsidiary theme its own character and detail.
—Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Aug. 2023
The scherzo and finale whizzed by with impressively taut coordination.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 31 July 2023
Even the scherzo, usually a lighter-hearted movement, is harmonically and rhythmically restless.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 6 July 2023
But trumpets were repeatedly too loud in balances, as occasionally were horns, although the latter made jolly sounds in their scherzo summonses.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 24 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scherzo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near scherzo
Cite this Entry
“Scherzo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scherzo. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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