serenade
A light, often outdoor composition, originally performed in the evening.
In Depth
A serenade was originally an evening song performed outdoors, often beneath a lover's window. The musical form evolved into a multi-movement work for small ensemble or orchestra, lighter in character than a symphony but more substantial than a divertimento.
Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music) is the most famous serenade, and his Serenade No. 10 for thirteen wind instruments (Gran Partita) is among the greatest wind ensemble works ever written. Brahms composed two orchestral serenades early in his career. The genre's outdoor origins gave it a relaxed, sociable character that distinguishes it from more formal concert forms.
Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik is the most frequently performed piece of classical chamber music in the world, yet Mozart never mentioned it in any of his letters — we know nothing about why or for whom he wrote it.