Divertissement for Wind Quintet

Divertissement was composed during 2005 for the Cadence Music Ensemble and rewritten in 2010 for Bret Pimentel, a virtuoso performer on multiple woodwinds. This version was created in 2023 and is a showcase for members of the quintet. A divertissement is a multi-movement composition designed to divert, entertain or to amuse. There are six contrasting movements in this composition; Intrada (flute feature), Nocturne (Horn feature), Valse (bassoon feature), Marche (clarinet feature), Romanza (oboe feature), and Galop (spotlight on members of the ensemble). The Intrada is energetic and playful with a lot of interplay between instruments. The Nocturne, being a night piece, is both lyrical and mysterious. The Waltz is in a flowing waltz tempo with occasional shifts away from three beats in the measure. The Marche is not a piece that would be used in a parade. It is a march that exists in the mind of a child who is playing with toy soldiers; therefore there is playfulness and humor that would not occur in a functional march. Lyrical lines and expressiveness are the predominating features of the Romanza. The piece comes to a rousing close with the Galop, which is a "perpetual motion" type of movement with a lot of rhythmic variety.