''Divertissement'' (from the French 'diversion' or 'amusement') is used, in a similar sense to the Italian '
divertimento
''Divertimento'' (; from the Italian '' divertire'' "to amuse") is a musical genre, with most of its examples from the 18th century. The mood of the '' divertimento'' is most often lighthearted (as a result of being played at social functions) and ...
', for a light piece of music for a small group of players, however the French term has additional meanings.
During the 17th and 18th century, the term implied incidental aspects of an entertainment (usually involving singing and dancing) that might be inserted in an opera or
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
or other stage performance. In the operas produced by the
Académie Royale de Musique
The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be k ...
, both
tragédies lyriques and
comédies lyriques, these 'divertissements' were sometimes linked to the main plot, or performed at the close of the performance. (Similar examples during the 19th century include
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...
's opera ''
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540).
The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroa ...
'' and
Delibes's ballet ''
Coppélia
''Coppélia'' (sometimes subtitled: ''La Fille aux Yeux d'Émail'' (The Girl with the Enamel Eyes)) is a comic ballet from 1870 originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon to the music of Léo Delibes, with libretto by Charles-Louis-à ...
''.)
Special entertainments of a similar kind given ''between'' the acts of an opera were called '
intermèdes'.
The term is also sometimes used for a ballet suite of loosely connected dances. One 20th-century example is
Jacques Ibert's ''Divertissement''.
Jean Françaix
Jean René Désiré Françaix (; 23 May 1912, in Le Mans – 25 September 1997, in Paris) was a French neoclassical composer, pianist, and orchestrator, known for his prolific output and vibrant style.
Life
Françaix's natural gifts were encour ...
named four of
his compositions ''Divertissement'':
*for string trio and piano (1933)
*for string trio and orchestra (1935)
*for bassoon and string quintet (or orchestra, 1942)
*for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1945).
See also
*
Entr'acte
References
*
Kennedy, Michael (2006), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Music'', 985 pages,
*Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'', 782 pages,
French words and phrases
Opera terminology
Ballet terminology
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