Serenade

What it means

The serenade is evening music: originally a piece offered outdoors before a house, then a multi-movement composition for a smaller scoring. The name goes back to the Italian word for evening. Its counterpart in the morning is the aubade. As a genre, the serenade stands alongside the divertimento, the cassation, and the notturno; the designations were not strictly distinguished at the time of their origin.

Musical use

Typical of the eighteenth-century serenade is a sequence of numerous short movements, often framed by marches, with several minuets and a slow movement; the scoring ranges from wind groups to mixed ensembles with strings. From the outdoor performance follow a clear organization, catchy melodic writing, and a sustaining scoring. In the nineteenth century the title is used for orchestral works that preserve the cheerful, lighter tone but are conceived for the concert hall. As a vocal piece, serenade also designates a piece offered with accompaniment, such as appears in operas as an inserted number. Brahms wrote two orchestral serenades, op. 11 and op. 16.

Performance practice

Treat the movements as a sequence of characters and work out differences, especially between several minuets. Play transparently and lightly; in soloistic scoring every voice carries. When performing outdoors, reckon with the absence of reverberation: somewhat calmer tempos, more distinct articulation, a closer arrangement. Clarify the movement sequence, since such works survive in differing forms. Keep minuets dance-like and plan the overall length, because serenades can become extensive.

Bear in mind that eighteenth-century serenades are often extensive and a selection can make sense in concert: make it with reasons and name it in the programme, instead of shortening arbitrarily. Mozart's serenade Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525, is the best-known example of the genre. The serenades for winds, for instance Mozart's Gran Partita, K. 361, arose for Harmoniemusik.

Check whether marches belong at the beginning and end, because they form the frame of the work.

Also check whether the work is to be scored soloistically or chorally, because both are documented.