Mozart, "A musical joke", K. 522

A good-natured banter from Wolfgang Amadeus

We sincerely believe that Mozart would not have laughed much at the portrayal of him in the film Amadeus. However, we know that he had a robust sense of humor, documented in his letters; and from his compositions, as well, we know that he displayed an equally robust sense of humor in them. In the divertimento known as "A Musical Joke," from 1787, Mozart created a parody of what might have been the work of an unseasoned composer, an inept composer. The piece, therefore, is riddled with awkward moments, crude resolutions, or untraditional accompaniments. The purpose is clearly satirical, although there is no record of Mozart ever revealing that this was his intention.

We also know that Wolfgang was capable of quickly overcoming difficulties and that every time he did so, it was through musical creation, where there was no lack of joyful moments even if the previous events had not been exactly encouraging. And, precisely, the "musical joke" is the first piece incorporated into his personal catalog after the death of his father, although Mozart had already been thinking about it for two years. The other divertimento that accompanies the "joke" in the catalog, incorporated the same summer, also arouses curiosity: the celebrated Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. It is difficult to imagine another two pieces with such opposite purposes and destinies.

The "antics"
The divertimento is crude and mechanical, with passages designed to mimic what would happen with inaccurate or wrong notation or technically clumsy playing. Written for two horns and strings, the horn players are expected to do as they please; thus, in performances it is customary for them to be "ejected" from the stage during the third movement, only to see them return contrite in the fourth and final movement.
But most of the "chascarros" are only understood by musicologists or similar, also because in their time they were destined to the ears of those who had known and listened to poorly gifted contemporary authors of Mozart, as there were some. Researchers also point out a very early use of polytonality, which, who knows if it was, at the time, nothing more than just another "chascarro".

Divertimento for two horns and strings in F major, K. 522
As already tersely noted, the work is written for two horns, two violins, viola, and cello. As for the German title, Ein Musikalischer Spaß, it should be noted that the word Spaß does not necessarily connote a jocular intent. One musicologist has suggested that a more appropriate translation would be: A musical amusement, precisely what a divertimento is intended to be. It is structured in four movements lasting about twenty minutes.

Movements:
00:00  Allegro
03:00  Menuetto and Trio. Maestoso
10:50  Adagio cantabile
15:20  Presto

The performance is by a chamber ensemble from the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.