Divertimento for Orchestra

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" Divertimento for Orchestra" is a composition for a large symphony orchestra by Leonard Bernstein and was commissioned in 1980 for the 100th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra . Bernstein had previously attended the orchestral academy in Tanglewood and assisted the then conductor Sergei Kusewizki . The piece pays homage to the orchestra and to the city of Boston , where Bernstein grew up.

The work consists of eight extremely short movements through which the tone sequence HC, in English "BC" for Boston Centenary (centenary) runs. The individual movements contain a multitude of styles from American popular music to symphonic repertoire from various epochs and are interspersed with numerous individual and group solos . A performance of the work lasts about 15 minutes, the world premiere took place on September 25, 1980 in the Boston Symphony Hall under Seiji Ozawa . In 1983, 1987 and 1988 the composer made corrections to the work.

sentences

  • I. Sennets and Tuckets ("Fanfares") - Allegro non troppo, ma con brio begins with a brilliant fortissimo and does not calm down until the end. The title of the movement comes from Shakespeare's stage directions , which prescribed a particularly clear fanfare for the appearance of a certain character. Bernstein originally planned to use the motifs used in this movement as the basis for the entire work.
  • II. The particularly well-known waltz - Allegretto, con grazia, is very unusual for a waltz , in 7/8 time. The idea comes from the waltz in Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony , which is in 5/4 time. The beautiful, calm melody is performed only by the strings, led by a solo string quartet .
  • III. The Mazurka - Mesto (molto moderato) stands in the interplay between major and minor; you can clearly hear the sigh motif H – C. Only the six double reed instruments and the harp play . The movement contains a quotation from the oboe cadenza from Beethoven's 5th Symphony .
  • IV. The Samba - Allegro giusto starts happily and gets faster and faster in the middle part up to a final presto .
  • V. In the Turkey Trot - Allegretto, ben misurato , an alla breve measure and a 3/4 measure alternate.
  • VI. Sphinxes is in a very slow Adagio lugubre tempo and consists of only 11 bars .
  • VII. The blues - slow blues tempo is only performed by brass, piano and partly notated and according to the score, "spontaneous interventions" of the percussion. The movement begins with alternating 12/8–9/8 time and goes into 4/4 time.
  • VIII. The last movement consists of 2 parts: In Memoriam , a canon for 3 solo flutes , is intended to commemorate the deceased members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This is followed by March, "The BSO Forever" , in which all of the previous topics appear again in a pasticcio . The basis is the Radetzky March . The score dictates that first the two piccolo flutists and later the entire brass group rise from their seats for their solos.

occupation

The piece is for a large romantic orchestra with extensive, modern percussion :

3 flutes (3rd also piccolo), piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn , 2 clarinets in A and B, E-flat clarinet , bass clarinet , 2 bassoons , contrabassoon , 4 horns , 3 trumpets , 3 trombones , tuba (also euphonium ), Percussion (5 players: xylophone , vibraphone , glockenspiel , tubular bells , triangle , large and small cymbals , hanging cymbal, large tam-tam , 2 "Cuban" cowbells , wooden block , 4 temple blocks , ratchet , maracas , sandpaper block , drums , 4 small drums , 3 Bongos , 2 congas , bass drum , bell ring ), harp, piano , strings .

The piece is also performed in an arrangement for wind orchestra by Clare Grundman .

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