Serenade

Evening social music that became a relaxed multi-movement instrumental genre.

Related

ClassicalSerenadeViolinFrench Horn

A serenade began as outdoor evening music and became a relaxed multi-movement genre with memorable tunes.

Origins and dating

In the eighteenth century nobles hired players for evening gatherings, and serenades were written for small string or wind groups. Mozart wrote several, and Haydn and Beethoven used the name. In the nineteenth century the genre moved into the concert hall, with string serenades by Dvořák, Tchaikovsky and Elgar. Twentieth-century examples come closer to a lyrical suite.

Listening features

Small string or wind groups are common, the bass stays light and sound transparent. Usually four or five movements include a march, a minuet, a slow movement and a rondo. The tune sits in the first violin or oboe over simple broken chords. Tempo is relaxed, and phrases end with courteous pauses. Notice the triple time of the dances and the songlike slow movement.

Figures

Mozart wrote the Serenade in G major K.525 and several wind serenades, Dvořák and Tchaikovsky wrote string serenades, and Elgar wrote one in E minor.

Lineage

It grows from the baroque suite and outdoor entertainment and leads to the romantic string suite, light music and nocturnal film cues.

Misconceptions

A serenade is not necessarily slow, since marches and dances are common. Nor does it belong only to the eighteenth century, because important examples appeared later.

Sources

• The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed., entry Serenade — definitions and chronology checked, not quoted
• Richard Taruskin, The Oxford History of Western Music, Vol. 2 (Oxford University Press, 2005) — classical-era context checked, not quoted

Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.