Cocktail Party Fact: Edward Elgar’s Cockaigne is a “concert overture.” That is, it isn’t associated with any particular play or opera; it’s simply a bright and colorful curtain-raiser.

Commitment Factor: About 15 minutes.

Vital Statistics: Late Romantic period.

What to Listen For: Named after the mythical land of plenty, and subtitled “In London Town,” Cockaigne is a vivid and affectionate sound-painting of turn-of-the-century London. There are many incidents and scenes, including a parade coming around the corner at one point. The music is as brash and noisy as you’d expect the city to be, with an occasional interlude for old-fashioned romance. Pure fun, from the master of Edwardian decorum.