Divertimento in B flat for Eight Winds

A divertimento for pairs of clarinets, oboes, horns, and bassoons, inspired by the wind divertimenti and serenades of Mozart. Any comments would be most appreciated!

1. Allegro.pdf 2. Minuetto allegretto.pdf 3. Andantino grazioso.pdf 4. Minuetto vivace.pdf 5. Presto.pdf

Hey @Aiwendil !

Nice job on this elegant classical work! I would have called this piece "Divertimento in Bb for Wind Octet". But no matter - very enjoyable nonetheless! I love the unexpected discordant moments in the 1st movement! The 2nd movement almost lulls me into boredom, but soon enough a contrasting section brings renewed musical interest. The 3rd movement to me sounds like a peaceful countryside carriage ride. I'm surprised that you included two minuets in this Divertimento. I would have opted to write one minuet and a scherzo for variety's sake. But it certainly is vivacious and full of positive energy! The Presto movement is probably my favorite of the bunch! It's very scherzo-like with its constant sudden dynamic surprises. Another thing I wanted to mention is that the whole work is very well proportioned! Each movement is about 5 minutes long with no movement being more important than the others. Great job and thanks for sharing! I enjoyed it thoroughly!

P.S.: I really loved the funny modulations in the last movement! They're full of Mozartean humor - almost like those polytonal moments in his Musical Joke! Thanks again!

Thanks very much for listening, and for your comments! It's probably because I'd been listening to so much Mozart before writing this that I included two minuets instead of making one a scherzo - but I also think the last movement provides that scherzando feeling. I'm glad you noted the modulations in the last movement; I got a kick out of writing that bit, as if the oboe realizes it got off at the wrong stop on its chromatic scale and then it takes a few tries to figure out how to get back to the right key.

Excellent! Could have been played after dinner at court with Joseph II. I would get in trouble, throwing some whole tone chord in or 20th-21st Century surprise of some sort! This has a great purity but also sense of humor about it. I haven't listened to the middle movements YET, but I'm sure they measure up.

Reading your comment just above about the oboe getting off on the wrong stop and having to get back to key...I do that all the time. It reminds me of when I'm playing bass to my brother's guitar, covering classic rock, and we go into a jam...and train wreck, or near train wreck, but we chromatically wrench it back into key...there's a part in the piano sonata I'm working on that does this sort of thing, many parts, actually, but one in particular. Your last movement Presto does this well and sounds like something Wolfie might have done; perhaps in a fantasia or musical joke?😉

Oh yes, I realized why it had to be in Bb!

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by Churchcantor

1 hour ago, Churchcantor said:

Excellent! Could have been played after dinner at court with Joseph II. I would get in trouble, throwing some whole tone chord in or 20th-21st Century surprise of some sort! This has a great purity but also sense of humor about it. I haven't listened to the middle movements YET, but I'm sure they measure up.

Reading your comment just above about the oboe getting off on the wrong stop and having to get back to key...I do that all the time. It reminds me of when I'm playing bass to my brother's guitar, covering classic rock, and we go into a jam...and train wreck, or near train wreck, but we chromatically wrench it back into key...there's a part in the piano sonata I'm working on that does this sort of thing, many parts, actually, but one in particular. Your last movement Presto does this well and sounds like something Wolfie might have done; perhaps in a fantasia or musical joke?😉

Oh yes, I realized why it had to be in Bb!

Thanks! It's fun to try to include little witticisms or humorous moments while still folding them into the piece so that they sound "good".