A divertimento – literally, “an amusement” – is a piece mostly lighthearted in mood, written for a small ensemble. Divertimento for Small Orchestra is a single movement work, of approximately 10 minutes duration, which for the most part fits that description. The instrumentation is similar in size to the late 18th century classical orchestra, the period of time during which the divertimento reached its peak of popularity. However, the musical style of my Divertimento is not a throwback to the past, but a fresh, modern reimagining of the form that I believe will speak to contemporary audiences.

Divertimento for Small Orchestra opens with a playful, repeated 16th-note figure in thirds in the upper strings. This recurring motif appears to go through several rapid transformations before returning to where it started, leading quickly to a second, contrasting section. Whereas the first section was rhythmically very regular, the second section contains a succession of beats grouped unpredictably into 2’s and 3’s, producing a pronounced “off-kilter” and humorous effect. The thematic material in this section is likewise lighthearted and amusing.

Eventually the music works its way back to a much-abbreviated restatement of the opening material, though around a different key center. This quickly leads to the longest and least divertimento-like section of the piece, marked Tranquillo. The mood here is subdued, the tempo is noticeably slower, and the thematic material has a somewhat plaintive and even mournful quality. The music slowly works itself into a tremendous climax, the emotional center of the piece. The denouement happens quickly, following which the music suddenly and mysteriously shifts gears, and somehow finds itself back in the material of the opening section, though not yet in the home key. After several unexpected harmonic twists and turns, the original key area is finally arrived at, and a short coda recalling the theme from the second section finishes with a flourish.

Divertimento for Small Orchestra was commissioned by the Skaneateles Festival, thanks to a generous donation by Jary and Julie Shimer, and was written between August 2010 and April 2011.

— Lee Actor

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