Academy of St.Martin-in-the-Fields - Mozart: Divertimenti (5CD) (1990)

One normally thinks of Divertimenti being occasional works, written to accompany other activities. While this was the intent of Mozart, his brilliance just can't be caged. These works are varied, interesting, expressive, and even famous. The three Divertimenti K136, K137 and K138 are actually string quartets but someone (W. Mozart? Leopold Mozart?)wrote "Divertimento" on the autograph score. Each has its own character and all have found their way into the repertoire. Often heard on classical music stations, they are tuneful and energetic works that predict correctly the brilliant future Mozart would achieve.

K287 has many movements but the most striking is the long Adagio. It features a lovely and expressive violin part that Mozart later bragged about playing as though "he was the greatest violinist in Europe." The Finale starts off with a deadly serious introduction that is a false lead preceeding a playful tune that was a popular song of the day. The audience would surely recognize the little joke.

K525, "Eine Kliene Nachtmusik" needs no introduction. It might just be Mozart's most well known piece. It is full of beauties and brilliant counterpoint for those who wish to listen closely, or you can just flow with the familiar strains of this beautiful and satisfying music.

K334 belies its origin as a "Divertimento". Maynard Solomon points out in his great Mozart biography of the duality found in the work. It has "fearful symmetries" in his words and it is deep and very creative music.

K522 is the "musical joke" written for an unknown purpose. The discords are alarming and the jokes are not that accessible if you aren't aware of some music theory but it certainly has interest. It gives a sideways glance into Mozart's mind and sense of humor and has always been for me at least, a source of perplexing and confounding thoughts. Why for instance, did Mozart feel compelled to write something that pokes rather sharply at his lesser talented colleagues? A lot of the humor is composed of "inside jokes" that only other musicians and serious music lovers would catch. There are unprepared modulations, contrapuntal errors, confused musical syntax, fugues that drop off the middle, etc. To the musical layman it just isn't that funny. It is interesting though, if in an odd way.

K113 is an earlier piece but charming and full of energy and tuneful ideas. It rolls along very lightly and is almost over with too soon. There are 2 other Divertimenti in this edition, and of the two, K205 is probably the more interesting one. K251 is a bit slight compared to the rest. There are also introductory marches to three of the works, K248, K290 and K445.

All told, this is a rich and varied legacy. Slight Mozart it turns out, is more than substantial music for the careful listener. If at first it seems light, further hearings will reveal riches that give without end. Music to be enjoyed and never forgotten or neglected, at least in my world.