Nazareth (1863 -1934) was a Brazilian composer and pianist whose music transcribes very well from the piano to popular contemporary instruments and in the context of this piece particular ones with plucked strings in an ensemble. His compositional style absorbs many different influences Brazilian, European, African and ragtime. He composed tangos, waltzes, polkas, sambas, galops, Scottisches and fox-trots and although classically trained was very familiar with the popular musical idioms of his day both at home and abroad. Brejeiro is described as a tango and the English translation of the Portugese word Brejeiro is impish meaning fun or mischevous. A tempo of 96 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute is suggested. Some of the chord voicings in the guitar parts have been changed and there are some octave transpositions in the melody where the range of the solo instrument proves limiting. On the second beat of Bar 52 mandolin, for example, players may also choose to play the second E an octave higher on the 12th fret. It is quite probable that if you listen to this piece played by Brazilian musicians that the bandolim and cavaquinho will feature. The bandolim is the name for the mandolin in Brazil - the instrument arrived in Brazil from Portugal. The cavaquinho is a small string instrument of the European guitar family with four wire or gut strings similar to the ukulele although tuned differently. There is also a TAB version of this work available on the website with appended instrument parts.
