Divertimento KV 563 in E flat major is Mozart's only trio for violin, viola and cello. It was composed in September 1788 and is in line with the masterpieces composed during the summer of 1788 such as the last symphonies. Although overwhelmed by debts, anxieties and the tragedy of the premature death of his daughter Theresia on June 29, 1788, Mozart composed a series of masterpieces during this period, despite the difficulty of his personal situation. The Trio is dedicated to Michael Puchberg, the composer's generous friend and Masonic lodge brother. Mozart saw it as his last resort in the financial situation he was struggling with at the time. Divertimento KV 563 is by nature an indisputable chamber work, but by virtue of its title it belongs to ceremonial music. At the end of the 18th century, the genre of divertimento appeared in some way as a relic of previous eras. It derives from the suite of dances which triumphed during the first half of the 18th century and its very name evokes a series of varied movements entrusted to a group of instruments.
