Divertimento No. 17 (Mozart)

The Divertimento No. 17 in D major, K. 334/320b was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart between 1779 and 1780 and was possibly composed for commemorating the graduation of a close friend of Mozart's, Georg Sigismund Robinig, from his law studies at the University of Salzburg in 1780.^[1] Lasting about 42 minutes,^[2] it is the longest of the divertimenti by Mozart.

Detail of Wolfgang from the 1780–81 Portrait of the Mozart Family

Instrumentation

This divertimento is scored for 2 violins, viola, double bass and 2 horns.

Movements

This divertimento consists of 6 movements:

1. Allegro (in D major and in sonata form)
2. Tema con variazioni (Andante) (in D minor, theme and 6 variations, fourth variation in D major)
3. Menuetto - Trio (in D major and in compound ternary form, trio in G major)
4. Adagio (in A major and in sonata form)
5. Menuetto - Trio I - Trio II (in D major and in rondo form, where the first trio is in D minor and the second trio is in B minor)
6. Rondo (Allegro) (in D major and in sonata rondo form)

In Kurt Sanderling's recording of this piece, both the Adagio and the second Menuetto are omitted. In the recording with Florian Heyerick conducting the Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Mannheim, part of the Rondo is omitted.

See also

• Divertimento No. 15 in B-flat major, K. 287