Salzedo wrote Scintillation in September 1936 after a trip to Mexico, where he was heavily influenced by the Spanish colors and rhythms he encountered in his wanderings.

In Scintillation, Salzedo develops established dance patterns, such as the sarabande in the opening leading to a rumba section. Then comes the "scintillating" portion of the piece—the composer works a consistent glissando that relies almost solely on pedal changes to vary the music, and sometimes three pedals at once are changed to achieve the effects he sought. This leads to a tango-like section and the piece ends with triumphant flourishes.

The work highlights techniques that Salzedo helped establish, such as using the fingernails for specific color applications and employing lots of harmonics. Salzedo wrote Scintillation as a showpiece vehicle for his own considerable and celebrated skills as a virtuoso, and it remains at the pinnacle of a harpist's career to master it.

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