The term 'Divertimento' means 'pastime' or 'diversion,' and these pieces were intended for evening entertainment at social events like weddings or university celebrations.
Compositional Technique
The 'Salzburg Symphonies' (Divertimenti KV 136-138) have three movements, matching the structure of an Italian Sinfonia, but their character is that of a Divertimento.
Historical Context
These Divertimenti were often performed outdoors, by candlelight in places like the Mirabell Palace gardens or in front of the university, with musicians sometimes marching through the city.
Interpretation
The 'Salzburg Symphonies' can be played either chorally or by a string quartet, as both options were legitimate and original in the 18th century depending on the performance space.
Composer Biography
Mozart encountered the 'singing Allegro' style, which begins the D major Divertimento KV 136, nearly a decade earlier in London with Johann Christian Bach, a composer and son of J.S. Bach.
Performer Biography
The Mozart Quartett Salzburg, founded in 1996, has gained recognition as a premier Mozart ensemble and performed all 23 Mozart string quartets in 2006.
Composition History
Wolfgang Amadé Mozart wrote the 'Salzburg Symphonies' (Divertimenti KV 136-138) in Salzburg at the beginning of 1772, between his second and third trips to Italy.
