4(IV=picc).2.corA.2(II=bcl).bcl(=Ebcl).ssax.2.dbn-4.4.3.1-timp.perc(3):xyl/marimba/vib/cowbells/6gongs(lg)/SD/brake dr(lg)/2timbales/pedal BD/BD(lg)/wooden cube(lg)/hammer(lg)/sizzle cym-harp-pft(=cel)-strings
“Scherzoid is the latest example of Turnage’s ability to incorporate modern jazz influences into a fresh forward-minded orchestral idiom… A kaleidoscopic riot of blue-hued harmonies and silvery tuned percussion, the 13-minute Scherzoid evoked both Scherzo and “Schizo”. The pace was often wired and led to a high-impact climax, yet there were pools of lovely calm and a characteristic Turnage cameo for solo soprano saxophone.”
Star Ledger/NJ.com
“…13 minutes of relentlessly propulsive, high-octane rhythm, bubbling with scherzoid jokes, and bristling with schizoid dislocations of time and metre…pizzicato strings and gong-beats dapple the darkness, the bare brush of a cymbal temporarily calms the music into woodwind blues… Scherzoid is both aurally and visually exciting.”
The Times
