Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

258 SCHENK SCHERZO
director to Prince Carl von Auersperg ; in
1795 his Aohmet und Almauzine ' ' was brought
out at Vienna, and finally Der Dorfbarbier' was
'
produced at the Karuthnerthor Theatre, Nov. 7,
1796, a work that was always popular, and
kept its position in the repertory for many
years. Between this, his masterpiece, and
the Fassbinder,' already mentioned, came Der
' '
Bettelstudent ' (1796) and 'Die Jagd' (1797).]
The anecdote of his kissing Mozart's hand during
the overture on the first night of the ' Zauberflbte
has been already related. [See Mozaet, vol. iii.
p. 30 Oa, note 1 .] His first meeting with Beethoven
is told in Bauernfeld's biographical sketch of
Schenk in the Wiener Zeitachrift fiir Kunst for
1837 (Nos. 5, 6, and 7). Gelinek mentioned to
Schenk that he had found a young man whose
playing excelled anything ever heard before,
excepting Mozart's, and who had been studying
counterpoint for six months with Haydn, but
to so little purpose that it would be a great
kindness if Schenk would give him some help.
A meeting was arranged at Gelinek's house,
when Beethoven improvised for over half an
hour in so remarkable and unusual a manner
that forty years afterwards Schenk could not
speak of it without emotion. Schenk next went
to see the young artist. ' Himself a model of
neatness, he was rather taken aback by the
disorderliness of the room, but Beethoven's
reception was cordial and animated. On the
desk lay some short exercises in counterpoint,
in whidi on the first glance Schenk detected a
few errors. Beethoven's troubles soon came
out. He had come to Vienna aware of his own
ability, but anxious to learn ;
had at once put
himself in the hands of the first master to be
got, and yet was making no progress. Schenk
at once agreed to help him, and took him
through Fux's 'Gradus ad Parnassum,' with
which indeed Haydn was familiar enough. As
it was essential that Haydn should not be entirely
thrown over, Beethoven copied exercises
partly corrected by Schenk,* and Haydn was
then able to congratulate himself on the progress
of his hot-headed pupil. The affair was of course
kept strictly secret, but Beethoven having fallen
out with Gelinek the latter gossiped, and
Schenk was deeply annoyed. Beethoven, however,
when on the point of following Haydn to
Eisenstadt, wrote very gratefully to Sohenk,^
and the two remained on pleasant terms. It is
interesting to know that besides Mozart and
Beethoven, Schenk was acquaintedwith Schubert.
Bauernfeld introduced them, and so congenial
were they that after an hour's talk they parted
like old friends.
Very unassuming in his ways, Schenk was
1 This surely Bays a great deal for Beethoven's patience, and for
his desire not to offend Haydn.
2 1 wish I were not starting to-day for Eisenstadt. I should
like to liave had more talk with you. In the meantime you may
count upon my gratitude for the kindness you have shown me. I
shaU do aU in my power to return It. I hope to see you and enjoy
your society again soon. Farewell, and do not forget your Bbbt-
HOVBM."
'
;'
'
respected as a thorough though somewhat
pedantic teacher of the piano and composition.
His portrait, in the Museum of the Gesellschaft
der Musikfreunde in Vienna, shows a pleasing
countenance. [Two cantatas, Die Huldigung '
and 'Die Mai,' his last complete compositions,
date from 1819] and at an advanced age he set
about remodelling his ' Jagd,' for which he got
Bauernfeld to write him a new libretto. He
had finished the first act when he died, Dec.
29 1836 c F P
SCHEEZANDO, SCHERZOSO, playful,
lively ; a direction of frequent occurrence, indicating
a passage of a light and cheerful
character. It is occasionally used, inx;ombination
with some other direction, to indicate the
style of a whole movement, as Allegro schereando,
Allegretto scherzando (Beethoven, Symphony
No. 8), etc., but its more usual and characteristic
application is to a phrase which is to be
played in a lively manner, in contrast to the
rest of the movement or to some other phrase.
In such passages, as a rule, the time is intended
to be taken more freely than usual, while any
marks of phrasing which occur should be strictly
adhered to. In fact the phrasing of a scherzando
passage is of paramount importance, for by it
alone can the proper character be given.—The
word is found, where one would little expect it,
in the old editions of Beethoven's Mass in D,
near the beginning of the Et vitam ' venturi '
but on reference to Breitkopf & Hartel's complete
edition it turns out to have been read in error
for sforzccndo ! m.
SCHEBZO. An Italian word signifying 'j est
or ' joke. ' Its application in music is extensive,
and—as is the case with many other musical
titles— often incorrect. Most of the movements,
from the time of Mendelssohn onwards,
would be better designated as ' Caprices ' or
' Capriccios. ' Obviously the word signifies that
the piece to which it applies is not merely of a
light and gay character, but is of the nature of
a joke, in that it possesses that rare quality in
music, humour. But, exclusive of Haydn and
Beethoven, what musician shows humour, real
unaffected drollery, in his music ?
The term seems to have been first employed
(Scherzando) merely as a direction for performance,
but there are early instances of its use as
a distinctive title. The light Italian oanzonete
popular in Germany in the 17 th century were
called Scherzi musicali. Late in the 17th
century Johann Schenk published some ' Scherzi
musicali per la viola di gamba.' Later, when
each movement of an instrumental composition
had to receive a distinctive character, the directions
Allegretto scherzando and Presto scherzamdo
became common, several examples occurring in
the Sonatas of Ph. Em. Bach. But even in
the 'Partitas' of his great father, we find a.
Scherzo preceded by a Burlesca and a Fantaisie,
though some modem ears can discover little of