This work was planned as a ballet for a famous Spanish dancer, Antonio Mercé, which as "La Argentina." It seems to have been conceived as an abstract succession of dances, only one of which (the Garrot'n) is explicitly Spanish. There is no record that it was ever danced by Mercé, and the work was premiered as an orchestral piece in Barcelona in 1928, with Pablo Casals conducting his orchestra.

Although it has Turina's customary orchestral brilliance and some elements that make its Spanish origins obvious, there is no pictorial or descriptive content in the music. Instead, it is a simple succession of dance movements of charm and vigor, with a finale that recalls the main themes of the other sections.

© Joseph Stevenson, All Music Guide