The title is derived from the
angular, jerky character of the music.
The piece opens with a loud, introductory "fanfare" chord. Following this, the violin plays rhythmically
irregular pizzicati underneath both exclamations of the fanfare idea and short
accented notes/chords in the other instruments.
A fast, scalar figure grows out of one of the clarinet's long "fanfare" notes, and these scales become the
primary material in the middle section of the piece. At first the music is quite sparse, with the
clarinet playing a cadenza of sorts, the fast scales separated by
silences. Gradually, however, short
notes in all registers and in all instruments increase the density of the
music. The texture and gestures become
quite wild, and as the climax is approached, the horn heightens the tension
with an insistent B-flat pedal tone.
Suddenly, a long, loud chord, like that of the opening--followed by a
mysterious minor third glissando--puts an end to the "goofing around." A second chord and glissando are
heard, then a hesitant and short-lived restatement by the vibraphone of the
violin's
opening pizzicato music. A quiet
glissando, accompanied by a final staccato chord, ends the piece quizzically.
Classical Music | Music for Quartet
John Ferguson
Scherzo Play
Recorded on 05/10/1999, uploaded on 02/10/2010
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
The title is derived from the angular, jerky character of the music. The piece opens with a loud, introductory "fanfare" chord. Following this, the violin plays rhythmically irregular pizzicati underneath both exclamations of the fanfare idea and short accented notes/chords in the other instruments. A fast, scalar figure grows out of one of the clarinet's long "fanfare" notes, and these scales become the primary material in the middle section of the piece. At first the music is quite sparse, with the clarinet playing a cadenza of sorts, the fast scales separated by silences. Gradually, however, short notes in all registers and in all instruments increase the density of the music. The texture and gestures become quite wild, and as the climax is approached, the horn heightens the tension with an insistent B-flat pedal tone. Suddenly, a long, loud chord, like that of the opening--followed by a mysterious minor third glissando--puts an end to the "goofing around." A second chord and glissando are heard, then a hesitant and short-lived restatement by the vibraphone of the violin's opening pizzicato music. A quiet glissando, accompanied by a final staccato chord, ends the piece quizzically.
More music by John Ferguson
Duo for Piano and Vibraphone
Brass Quintet (2nd movement)
Classical Music for the Internet Era™