PT Journal
AU Pecman, R
TI DIVERTIMENTO, CASSATION AND SERENADE IN THE CZECH LANDS OF THE 18th CENTURY
SO Musicologica Olomucensia
PY 2007
BP 179
EP 188
VL 9
IS 1
AB Divertimento, cassation and serenade were important techniques of composition within the Czech lands during the 18th century. Divertimento is considered to be a specific genre of musical composition, mainly of a purpose of entertainment. It is noted for its undemanding composition style. The Italians understood divertimento as a composition for entertainment or amusement purposes. However, they also used the word (till the end of the 17th century) to describe collections of entertaining songs. As for French theater of the 17th and 18th centuries, the word "divertissement" was used for the entr'acte compositions in comedie-ballets or in opera-ballets (Lully, Rameau). Later on, this term was used for all ballet intermezzos. During the Viennese Classic era, divertimento has developed into a cyclic composition of four to ten movements, which often used sonata form, movements from suite, such as menuet, or even rondos and variations. As we may see, the form of divertimento is quite varied. It is mainly used as entertainment music for the court and the bourgeoisie and we see it as an indication of salon music (later).Cassation was mainly an evening music, reflecting an old habit of playing in front of the house of a beloved lass. It is a composition of more than one movement, close to a suite. Both wind instruments and string instruments are commonly used in cassation (also in solo parts). These compositions have mostly been played under the open sky and were also a form of entertainment. We may often find cassation been called notturno or sinfonia etc. Cassations were also often connected with feasts (i.e. craftsman celebrations).Compared to divertimento and cassation - a serenade differs from the former in its inner structuring. It is connected with functionally distinctive situations. The root of the word comes from serenade (French) or serenata (Italian), meaning a musical production under the open sky or and evening production (from an Italian word "sera" = evening). The music is mainly vocal or vocal-instrumental. Serenade has often been mistaken for divertimento or cassation and sometimes is used as music for the table ("Tafelmusik").Among the Czech lands the forms of divertimento, cassation and serenade were a backbone of the music production of the 18th century. These forms were often performed both at the court and elsewhere. Vladimir Helfert used to call Bohemia, Moravia, but also Silesia "the spring of music", namely for the value of music production within these regions. From the cultural centres music soon expanded to the entire country, mainly to schools and churches. We are sure about its presence due to the information in the archives. These forms, however, were often performed in a simplified manner, often influenced by cyclical sonata, and were often quite variable in terms of its instrumental engagement. On the other hand, all these forms had certain influence on so artificial music (Smetana, Dvorak, Martinu and modern authors). Thus the issue of divertimentos, cassations and serenades may be understood as contemporary.
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