Brazilian dance tunes like the tango, samba, and choro are featured in this lively character piece. Milhaud’s orchestral version was background music for a 1920 pantomime farce “The Nothing Doing Bar.”

Themes depicting partying and gambling are evident as expressed by a diverse cast that includes a black boxer, a pool shooting midget, brightly dressed ladies, and a policeman who gets decapitated by a ceiling fan and then magically restored after all the revelry is concluded. The striking melodies shift between the three Bb clarinets.

Listen

Performed by CarolinaClarinet Quartet