Scherzo

• Scherzo, Amy Beach (1867-1944)
• Instrumentation: Piano, violin
• Texture: This piece is not extremely rich. While it does have violins and a piano, it maintains a lighter, bouncy feel throughout. It does not seem to resonate throughout the performance space. There are two distinct lines of music pretty much throughout the entire piece.
• Range: The violin explores a very wide range. It consistently moves up and down the octaves throughout the piece. The piano's range seems to be somewhat more constricted, although it undoubtedly moves up and down the keyboard. This may be attributed to the fact that while the piano is playing at lower octaves, the violin is the focus of the piece, and therefore it seems as if the piano plays within a higher range.
• Tempo: The majority of the piece is very upbeat and quick. Slightly after half way through the piece, it does slow down for a bit, but picks up again before the finish.
• Meter: There is definitely a rhythmic pulse to this song. I couldn't guess at it, but I would say that it is a duple beat.
• Volume: The volume is not extremely varied, but it does fluctuate slightly. I would say that the volume is not the primary tool used to make this piece dramatic, but rather the tempo and the range.
• Other: I really enjoyed this piece, although not quite as much as the Schumann one. It was enjoyable to listen to, although I would have liked it more if there had been more focus on the piano. This is just my personal taste, however.