Bartók’s Divertimento is music which delights in contrast. Through a series of games between soloists and the full ensemble, a dialogue bounces back and forth in a rally of musical invention. However, a dark shadow hangs over the piece as a divided Europe begins to seep into Bartók’s composition, with this his final work before fleeing Hungary on the eve of it joining the Axis alliance.
“I’M GOING TO SCOTLAND”, the enthusiastic Felix Mendelssohn inscribed in capital letters to his friend in London. And when he got there the young composer made note of what he saw not in words, but with music – his notes tracing the majestic Scottish Highlands.