V prvi polovici 20. stoletja so v glasbi vladale tri velike osebnosti: Stravinski, Bartók in Schönberg. Vsi trije so pisali veliko bolj disonantno in ritmično razčlenjeno glasbo kot kdaj koli prej, čeprav so se med seboj zelo razlikovali. Stravinski je bil na čelu t. i. neoklasicistične smeri, vračanja k ravnovesju in jasnosti, Bartók je kot zadnji od skladateljev nacionalne smeri hodil osamljeno ustvarjalno pot, Schönberg pa je zgradil intelektualni sistem 12-tonske glasbe, dodekafonijo. V istem času so drugi skladatelji skušali iskati lastno pot v splošni zmedi. Osvobodili so se omejitev klasične harmonije 19. stoletja in pisali v več tonalitetah hkrati (politonalno), kot na primer Darius Milhaud, ali pa so uporabljali več vzporednih linij. Ob prodoru ameriških jazzovskih ritmov, za njimi pa fokstrota, charlestona in drugih plesov iz 20. let 20. stoletja so vsi evropski plesi postali staromodni. Milhaud in drugi skladatelji so se oprijeli ritmičnih in inštrumentalnih možnosti novih plesnih oblik ter jih vpletli v svoje skladbe. Milhaud je francoski skladatelj, čigar opus skoraj 400 del sega od lahke zabavne glasbe do širokopoteznih operno-oratorijskih del. Bil je eden prvih neoklasicistov, vključno z ostalimi člani »šesterice«. Povezanost šestih francoskih skladateljev v skupino so si pravzaprav izmislili časnikarji, a je te skladatelje kljub temu družila nekakšna enotnost duha. Pod duhovnim vodstvom duhovitega, za samopromocijo nadarjenega in umetniško iznajdljivega Jeana Cocteauja so »Les six« postali sinonim za urban, šaljiv in preračunljivo naiven glasbeni slog. Milhaud je drzno eksperimentiral s politonalnostjo ter latinskoameriškimi glasbili in ritmi, ne da bi pri tem izgubil spontanost in bujen melodičen navdih. V obravnavani Sonatini opus 76 za flavto in klavir se kaže njegovo navdušenje nad brazilsko glasbo in plesom. S sinkopami, trilčki in pasažami pričara pravo poletno vzdušje in ko se poigrava s harmonijo, nemalokrat vnaša v glasbo zametke dveh tonalitet, predvsem elemente gis in fis mola. In the first half of the 20th century there were three major composers: Stravinski, Bartók and Schönberg. They all composed more dissonant and rhythmically analyzed music than anybody before although they differed from each other in their styles. Stravinski was the leader of so-called neoclassicism – the return to balance and clearness. Bartók was alone in his style and Schönberg created a musical system of 12 tones. Other composers of that time were trying to find their own ways in general chaos. They freed themselves from the boundaries of classical harmony of the 19th century and started composing in multiple simultaneous tonalities (polytonality), like Darius Milhaud, or used many parallel lines. When American jazz rhythms and later foxtrot, charleston and other dances of the 1920s became popular, all European dances became old-fashioned. Milhaud and other composers used rhythmic and instrumental possibilities of those new dance forms and integrated them in their compositions. Milhaud is a French composer whose opus of almost 400 compositions includes different types of music – from pop music to opera and oratorio. He was one of the first neoclassicists, so were the other members of »The six«. It was actually journalists who joined six French composers in this group, but they shared some unity of the spirit. Under the mentoring of witty and talented artist Jean Cocteau »Les six« became the synonym of urban, witty and calculably naive musical style. Milhaud was very daring in experimenting with polytonality as well as with Latin American instruments and rhythms, but he didn't lose his spontaneity and rich musical inspiration. His enthusiasm for Brazilian music and dance is shown in Sonatina opus 76 for flute and piano. The summer atmosphere is created by syncopes, trills and passages. When he plays with harmony, he often includes two tonalities, mostly elements of G-sharp minor and F-sharp minor.