Composed in 1914. In G major. Polka.

The "cavaquinho" is a small, four-stringed instrument, similar to a ukulele (with roots in the Portuguese braguinha), and an indispensable instrument in Brazilian folk music, "choro."

Choro, alongside samba and "Brazilian tango," is indispensable when discussing Nazareth's works. However, as it is still not widely known in Japan, I would like to briefly introduce choro here.

Choro is a popular music genre that originated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the late 19th century. It is a fusion of European court dances like the polka and Brazilian folk music. One can observe elements unique to Brazilian folk music, such as syncopation, alongside remnants of court dances, such as ternary form, which are also common in classical music. While samba, another Brazilian folk music genre, has a bright and cheerful image, choro, in contrast, strongly conveys an impression of elegance, freshness, and sophistication.

The instrumentation typically includes, in addition to the aforementioned cavaquinho, flute, guitar, the pandeiro (a percussion instrument similar to a tambourine), and string instruments such as the bandolim and 7-string guitar.

Like Nazareth, Heitor Villa-Lobos, a doyen of the Brazilian classical music scene, also deeply loved choro and published a collection of "Choros." This further demonstrates that choro is a music widely beloved by the Brazilian people. Nazareth himself maintained long-standing friendships with choro performers and left numerous choro works, including "Ameno Reseda," in addition to this piece.

The left-hand accompaniment in this piece is written as if plucking a cavaquinho, while the right-hand melody, with its elegant and light sixteenth notes dancing in the high register, evokes the flute typically found in a choro band. As mentioned, choro is usually performed by six to seven musicians, but Nazareth expressively and charmingly conveys the sound of a choro band with just a single piano.

In 1930, Nazareth himself recorded the piece for Odeon Parlophon, further increasing its popularity. In the 1940s, it crossed the ocean and caught the attention of Steve Race, a Hollywood film professional in the United States, eventually leading to its inclusion in the Disney film "Blame it on the Samba."

Even today, it remains beloved by many, not only on the piano but also in arrangements for other ensembles.

Incidentally, perhaps due to its very lively nature, it is said that from the time of its composition, pianists proud of their skill competed to play it at high speeds. However, as choro is inherently elegant and sophisticated music, Nazareth himself reportedly insisted regarding the boasting of fast playing for this piece, "It should be played more slowly."