Franz Liszt

This work was published as Wild Jagd -- Scherzo in 1851, but retitled Scherzo und Marsch after Liszt made some minor revisions for an 1854 edition. The two sections are of equal length in this 12- to 13-minute masterwork. The Scherzo opens with a mixture of menace and playfulness in the lower register, after which the music expands over the entire keyboard with a lively tempo and colorful mood that, at times, recalls that of Liszt's Mephisto Waltz No. 1. The kinetic main theme sounds in pursuit or escape of something. Descending glissandos and other imaginative effects enrich the impish air throughout, and the driven, anxious middle section offers no relief to the pianist performing this challenging music. The Marsch opens with a jaunty, colorful theme whose military manner is conveyed via its proud gait and accented arpeggiated chords that suggest snare drum rolls. The music largely remains light, though at times it bears features of the more serious manner heard in the big buildup of the composer's Funerailles. The middle section uses much of the same material from the corresponding episode in the Scherzo. The march theme returns for a dramatic climax, wherein it turns somewhat manic, after which a furious coda dramatically ends the work.