Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 3.djvu/260

ation, but in idea and treatment are full of charm. Several of his Kreisleriana and other small PF. pieces, are to all intents and purposes Scherzos.

Though the modern composers have not produced many remarkable Scherzos, it is not for want of trying. Rubinstein has a very pretty idea in 6–4 time in his Pianoforte Octet, and a very odd one in his A major Trio. The 'Ocean' Symphony has two Scherzos, in excellent contrast, the first being in 2–4 time, and slightly Schumannish, and the second in 3–4 time, with quite a Beethoven flavour. The first of these is not, however, entitled Scherzo by the composer any more than is the second movement of his 'Dramatic' Symphony, which begins with the following really humorous idea:—

Raff has—as frequently in other cases—spoilt many fine ideas by extravagances of harmony and lack of refinement. The two PF. Quartets (op. 202) show him at his very best in Scherzo, while his wonderful and undeservedly neglected Violin Sonatas have two eccentric specimens. The 1st Sonata (E minor, op. 73) has a Scherzo with bars of 2, 3, 4, and 5 crotchets at random; thus:—

while the Trio, which is in 3–4 time, is played so tempo rubato as to appear equally timeless with the above. In the Scherzo of the 2nd Sonata (A major, op. 78) occurs an odd effect. For no less than 56 bars the Violin sustains its low G as a pedal, while continuing a bagpipe melody against brilliant running accompaniment. In the Symphonies the 'Dance of Dryads' of the 'Im Walde' is perhaps the best Scherzo, most of the others being too bizarre and artificial.

Unlike Schubert and Beethoven, Brahms seldom rises sufficiently from his natural earnestness to write a really bright Scherzo, but he has published one for PF. solo (op. 4) which is very odd and striking. The 2nd Symphony has a movement which is a combination of Minuet and Scherzo, and certainly one of his most charming ideas. On somewhat the same principle is the Scherzo of the 2nd String Sextet (op. 36) which begins in 2–4 as a kind of Gavotte, while the Trio is 3–4 Presto, thus reversing the ordinary practice of making the Trio broader and slower than the rest of the piece.

Quite on a pedestal of their own stand the four Scherzos for piano by Chopin. They are indeed no joke in any sense; the first has been entitled 'Le Banquet infernal,' and all four are characterised by a wild power and grandeur which their composer seldom attained to.

Among recent productions may be noticed the Scherzo for orchestra by Goldmark, the so-called Intermezzo of Goetz's Symphony, the Scherzos in Dvorak's Sextet, and other chamber works. We have omitted mention of the strangely instrumented 'Queen Mab' Scherzo of Berlioz—more of a joke in orchestration than anything.

The position of the Scherzo in the Symphony—whether second or third of the four movements—is clearly a matter of individual taste, the sole object being contrast. Beethoven, in the large majority of cases, places it third, as affording relief from his mighty slow movements, whereas most modern composers incline to place it as a contrast between the first and slow movements. The matter is purely arbitrary.

[ F. C. ]

SCHEURMANN, Gustav, a native of Prussia, commenced the practical working of his patent processes of type-music-printing in 1856, at 86 Newgate Street, where he had been long established as a music publisher, and keeper of a circulating library of music. Feeling that music-printing was capable of much improvement, he devoted himself with extraordinary zeal to the perfecting of the various features of his patents (May 17, and Oct. 11, 1856). His chief aims were the production of an inexpensive kind of music-type, which would cost less for setting up; an easy mode of transposing to various keys; and a marked improvement in the general appearance of the music. Everything was done under his own supervision. Punch-cutters, type-founders, compositors, pressmen, and electrotypers were engaged, and rapid progress made, the various processes being carried out upon the premises. The mode of procedure was to set up the notes and various characters in one 'forme,' and the staves, formed of brass rules, in another, bringing the two together for proofs or printing. The press used for this purpose was one of peculiar construction. Both 'formes' were placed upon the same 'table,' and, by a very simple arrangement, good register secured in two pulls. The main feature of the process consisted in impressing the two 'formes' into one mould, and from that mould producing a perfect electro musicplate. [See Music-Printing, vol. ii. p. 433.]

Nothing could exceed the perfection of the specimens obtained by double printing; there being no joins, each type represented an entire character.