Mozart's Divertimento in Bb Major

From the BBC 3 Classical Radio Station in London, England, I listened to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s (1756-1791) Divertimento in Bb Major. This piece was performed by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Divertimento is a genre of music that was heard commonly in the 18th Century and is known for being light-hearted and meant for amusement. This piece features two horns, two violins, a viola and a double bass.

The violins take the main stage in this piece. They begin the first movement with a mezzo forte, legato theme, soaring up and playing high notes, while the bass and viola support them in lower registers.The horns are not overpowering, but they play softly and give the music an extra texture that is bright and jovial. Also, many changes in dynamics occur throughout the movement. The violins push forward with many crescendos, and then immediately pull back through decrescendos. Furthermore, the bass often times emphasizes the meter of the music by plucking notes on each beat of the measure. At one point, the music modulates into a minor mode while the intensity of the music grows with rapid crescendos and decrescendos. This sequence of music ends with the return of the theme, only this time in a minor mode.

Now returning to a major mode, the last movement of the piece truly exhibits the beautiful tonal quality of the violin, as it soars up to reach very high notes and then gradually descends to low notes. At the climax of the music, the violin plays its highest note. Immediately following, the instruments begin repeating a sequence, first played by one instrument, and then repeated by the other instruments in a certain order. After a brief cadence, the violins make their last great triumphant entrance with an upbeat solo, and the piece ends with three notes, all of the same pitch.

Mozart’s Divertimento in Bb Major is light-hearted and enjoyable to listen to while reading, studying, or simply for the enjoyment of the music itself.