Although it is sometimes designated as an opera, Escenas Campestres, first performed in 1860 is actually no more than an orchestral prelude and two vocal scenes. The first is a trio in which the tenor and baritone attempt to woo the soprano who rejects both of them. The soprano sings an aria about love that is based on the music of the prelude. This highly undramatic, yet melodically appealing and rhythmically intriguing composition reflects Gottschalk's own multi-cultural background. The adoption of Latin American rhythms in his vocabulary predated the popularity of similar syncopated rhythms in the music of Milhaud by more than half a century. The libretto, by an unknown author, was written in Spanish.

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