divertimento

[ dih-vur-tuh-men-toh; Italian dee-ver-tee-men-taw ]

/ dɪˌvɜr təˈmɛn toʊ; Italian diˌvɛr tiˈmɛn tɔ /

an instrumental composition in several movements, light and diverting in character, similar to a serenade.

Also called divertissement.

Origin of divertimento

1750–60; < Italian, equivalent to diverti(re) to divert + -mento -ment

In August, 1879, the composer added a sixth movement, Divertimento.

The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky |Modeste Tchaikovsky
Si, signorina, zat yong American gentleman say it—dam slow, no divertimento.

Jerry Junior |Jean Webster
I chose the title of Divertimento for the second movement of my Suite, because it was the first which occurred to me.

The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky |Modeste Tchaikovsky
Some time after midnight we felt that we had had enough of divertimento.

New Italian sketches |John Addington Symonds

Probably the divertimento composed in July, 1776 (251 K.) was also intended for his sister's fte-day.

Life Of Mozart, Vol. 1 (of 3) |Otto Jahn

divertimento

/ (dɪˌvɜːtɪˈmɛntəʊ) /

a piece of entertaining music in several movements, often scored for a mixed ensemble and having no fixed form

an episode in a fugue

C18: from Italian