Scherzando
Jesting, playful.
What it means
Scherzando comes from scherzare, “to jest,” and calls for a jesting, playful performance. What is meant is a tone of wit and lightness: short articulation, surprising accents, a music that does not want to be taken seriously.
The word belongs to the same family as the scherzo, that movement form which, in the Viennese Classical period, replaces the minuet. A scherzo need not be jesting, but the instruction scherzando calls for exactly this character.
Closely related is giocoso, which likewise means the playful. Where a distinction is made, scherzando stresses the wit, the punch line, giocoso the joy of playing. It differs from leggero, which calls for lightness, in that it designates a character, not only a manner of playing.
In the notation
The word stands in italics above the staff, usually after a tempo word, and applies until a new marking. Typical is proximity to staccato dots, rests at unexpected points, accents on weak beats, and terse motifs.
Musical use
The designation is used in scherzos, in finale movements, in variations of a cheerful cut, and in sections that lighten a serious course. In chamber music it stands over movements that live from the interplay of short interjections. The jesting quality often shows itself in the form itself: in broken-off phrases, sudden rests, turns that end differently than expected.
The instruction calls for a jesting, playful performance with light articulation, springy rhythms, and surprising accents. It is related to the scherzo, which has replaced the minuet in symphonies and sonatas since Beethoven. Scherzando often stands over fast, light passages. Lightness is decisive: short, clear notes and an agile...
Performance practice
Work out the punch lines: unexpected accents, broken-off phrases, rests — herein lies the wit. Keep the articulation short and springy, the accompaniment light. Avoid heaviness in the accents. And keep the pulse exact; a joke that falls out of time is none.