CASSATION

in music, 18th-century genre for orchestra or small ensemble that was written in several short movements. It was akin to the 18th-century serenade and divertimento and, like these, was often intended for performance outdoors. Among suggested origins of the term are the Italian cassa, drum (Mozart's cassations K. 63 and 99 open with march movements), and the Austrian dialectal gassatim gehen, to go into the street.