Arrangement for clarinet quartet of the overture of Orpheus in the Underworld, composed by J. Offenbach. The work refers to the myth of the poet and musician Orpheus and his wife, Eurydice, the oldest love myth of classical Greece. It was premiered at the Théâtre des Bouffes in Paris on October 21, 1858.

Alec Templeton was a blind musician very popular in England and America in the 1930's and 1940's. This nifty little piece shows his skills in composing a jazzy sound using the techniques of J. S. Bach. Benny Goodman recorded the fugue movement in 1938. Playing in a swing style, they played the piece first as written by Templeton, and then repeated with solos. It is worth listening to that performance if you want to get the swing right! It is set for clarinet quartet by John Gibson (clarinet 1,2,3, and bass with an alternate Eb alto in place of clarinet 3). The audio sample has short parts of both movements. With a little practice this could be played by advanced intermediate players. Have fun!