Despite the struggles he faced in his personal life, Mozart produced several outstanding works during the year of 1788. Among them is the Divertimento in E-flat major, K.563 for the rather challenging combination of violin, viola and cello. Curiously, it was Mozart’s only completed work for string trio (several fragments were left behind), but given its scope and a weightiness that defies its classification as a divertimento, it is quite easy to be fully satisfied with this lone, unique, and remarkable work in Mozart’ oeuvre. It is at times credited as the first work composed for string trio, but there are in fact others that predate it. Nonetheless, the Divertimento in E-flat major was the first substantial work for the ensemble. While Mozart provided a marvelous example of the ensemble’s capabilities, at times achieving a sound far bigger than would be expected, and while other composers of merit, such as Beethoven and Schubert, would later compose for it, the string trio ultimately found itself a sort of novelty, existing fully in the shadow of the more popular and quite frankly, more adequate, string quartet.
Cast in the usual six-movement form, the Divertimento in E-flat major is, in essence, a full-fledged chamber work that goes beyond the lighthearted entertainment music expected of the form. In this sense, it is perhaps in a certain way a faint foreshadowing of the expanded forms Beethoven would adopt in his late quartets. Already noted as Mozart’s only completed contribution for the ensemble, he masterfully handles the difficulties of the ensemble throughout the work. Without the aid of a second violin, all three instruments are thrown into a vital position of importance. The viola and cello are often called upon to ensure the presence of full-voiced harmony, if not through the use of double-stops, at least heavily implied through figuration, while their upper registers are utilized to provide variety. The violin, on the other hand, bequeaths some of the predominance it enjoyed in the quartet of the era, yet still maintains an element of virtuosity. The first movement is a regular sonata form that relies heavily on contrapuntal exchanges during its development section. An A-flat major Adagio follows, imbued with a serious demeanor. Two Minuets then frame a marvelous set of variations in B-flat major. Lastly, the Rondo finale provides a frolicking and joyful close to this remarkable work. Joseph DuBose
Classical Music | Violin Music
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Divertimento in E-flat Major, K. 563 Play
Recorded on 07/17/2013, uploaded on 01/02/2014
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
Despite the struggles he faced in his personal life, Mozart produced several outstanding works during the year of 1788. Among them is the Divertimento in E-flat major, K.563 for the rather challenging combination of violin, viola and cello. Curiously, it was Mozart’s only completed work for string trio (several fragments were left behind), but given its scope and a weightiness that defies its classification as a divertimento, it is quite easy to be fully satisfied with this lone, unique, and remarkable work in Mozart’ oeuvre. It is at times credited as the first work composed for string trio, but there are in fact others that predate it. Nonetheless, the Divertimento in E-flat major was the first substantial work for the ensemble. While Mozart provided a marvelous example of the ensemble’s capabilities, at times achieving a sound far bigger than would be expected, and while other composers of merit, such as Beethoven and Schubert, would later compose for it, the string trio ultimately found itself a sort of novelty, existing fully in the shadow of the more popular and quite frankly, more adequate, string quartet.
Cast in the usual six-movement form, the Divertimento in E-flat major is, in essence, a full-fledged chamber work that goes beyond the lighthearted entertainment music expected of the form. In this sense, it is perhaps in a certain way a faint foreshadowing of the expanded forms Beethoven would adopt in his late quartets. Already noted as Mozart’s only completed contribution for the ensemble, he masterfully handles the difficulties of the ensemble throughout the work. Without the aid of a second violin, all three instruments are thrown into a vital position of importance. The viola and cello are often called upon to ensure the presence of full-voiced harmony, if not through the use of double-stops, at least heavily implied through figuration, while their upper registers are utilized to provide variety. The violin, on the other hand, bequeaths some of the predominance it enjoyed in the quartet of the era, yet still maintains an element of virtuosity. The first movement is a regular sonata form that relies heavily on contrapuntal exchanges during its development section. An A-flat major Adagio follows, imbued with a serious demeanor. Two Minuets then frame a marvelous set of variations in B-flat major. Lastly, the Rondo finale provides a frolicking and joyful close to this remarkable work. Joseph DuBose
Allegro
Adagio
Menuetto: Allegretto
Andante
Menuetto: Allegretto
Allegro
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