A scherzo (Italian scherzo — “joke”) is a fast piece in triple metre, characterized by energetic, headlong motion, sharp accents, unexpected contrasts, and often a shade of humour or irony. In its classical structure the scherzo has a three-part form with a trio in the middle.
It was Ludwig van Beethoven who transformed the stately courtly minuet into a turbulent, dynamic scherzo, making it the third movement of his symphonies and sonatas. In the Romantics (Chopin, Brahms) the scherzo grew into a large-scale independent piece, at times dramatic and even sombre. The scherzo is an example of how a “joke” in music can contain a whole spectrum of emotions: from playfulness to a storm.
