A divertimento (from the Italian divertire, “to amuse”) is a multi-movement instrumental work of a light, easy character that flourished especially in the Classical era. It was written to entertain guests at social receptions, festivities, and in the open air of a garden.
The divertimento is close to the serenade and the cassation; it usually consists of several short, pleasing movements of varied character — fast, dance-like, lyrical. An unsurpassed master of the genre was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose numerous divertimentos astonish with refinement, wit, and melodic generosity, despite their apparent lightness. Although the divertimento makes no claim to the deep drama of the symphony, it embodies the bright, cheerful side of the music of the Classical age and its impeccable taste.
