Violin excerpt · Audition repertoire
Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 ("Eroica")
III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace
Fast, quiet, and relentlessly rhythmic. The scherzo opens sempre pianissimo, which is where most of the difficulty lives.
At a glance
- Instrument
- Violin
- Composer
- Ludwig van Beethoven
- Work
- Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 ("Eroica")
- Movement
- III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace
- Era
- Classical (c. 1750–1820)
- Composed
- 1804
- Tempo
- Allegro vivace
- Clef
- Treble clef
- Level
- Advanced, conservatory level
- Audition list
- Yes, standard excerpt
How to practise it
The bow style, the trouble spots, and the stylistic decisions that come up most often on this excerpt.
Bowing
A very light off-string or brushed stroke, kept quiet. The challenge is producing articulation at pianissimo without the note failing to speak.
Where it goes wrong
Players almost universally play this louder than written. The dynamic is the excerpt.
Style
The pulse must stay absolutely even, Beethoven builds the movement on rhythmic drive, and any unsteadiness is immediately audible.
Tags
Work on the technique underneath
Arco's violin curriculum builds the bow strokes, positions, and clef reading this excerpt assumes, with recorded violin playback throughout.