Mozart was born in 1756. At that time, the divertimento and its related musical forms seems to have enjoyed a special place in the musical life of Salzburg. Leopold Mozart wrote many such works as did Michael Haydn, the Prince Archbishop’s Second Kapellmeister.
Mozart himself was commissioned to provide entertainment music for affluent Salzburg families on a regular basis, and he provided great care on the composition of these works not least for the reason that so many people heard them. Serenades were played outdoors and attracted large, popular audiences.
Many of these works stem from the early years of Mozart’s life. Many of these carry Koechel catalog numbers in the 200’s.
Mozart’s serenades and divertimenti were occasional pieces and the enormous variety of styles and instrumentation reflect their diverse origins. Among them there is a significant body of music composed for wind band. A great deal of music was written for small wind ensemble during the second half of the eighteenth century; most of these works belong to the divertimento tradition although operatic arrangements were also very popular. In the supper scene in Don Giovanni, Mozart has a small on-stage wind band play several items from popular operas of the day including Non più andrai from his own Le nozze di Figaro.
Hey… I love this music! I am listening to it right now… September 30th.
Here is the Divertimento K. 213:
