Allegro from Divertimento, Op. 5, No. 2, by Georg Christoph Wagenseil
arr. for oboe, horn, and piano by Cynthia Carr
$20
Georg Christoph Wagenseil spent his life in Vienna, where he was trained as a keyboard player and composer, and worked as a court composer for nearly forty years, including in the court of the Empress Maria Theresa. His keyboard music was performed by amateurs and professionals alike during his lifetime, and he also composed church music (masses and motets), dramatic music (oratorios and operas), and much instrumental music ranging from trios to symphonies. His compositional style evolved from a solemn, intricate, contrapuntal approach in the first half of his career to a light, elegant, melody-based approach in the later decades; he thus served as an important link between the Baroque era and the gallant style of the early Classical era. This Allegro is the first movement of a Divertimento which was originally for violin, viola, and keyboard instrument. It has a light-hearted spirit with bright, lively writing for the piano, and would be a nice addition to a recital program when a brief (5’20”), cheerful, early-Classical piece is called for. This arrangement is very suitable for students, especially when the horn player takes the option to play the highest passages down an octave.