This hot-blooded and dramatic ballet score illustrates why George Antheil, the one-time avant-garde "Bad Boy of Music," came into high demand as a film score composer and orchestrator. It pulses with action and Spanish color.

Antheil wrote it for the Ballet Theatre, which premiered it in December of 1953. Virgil Thomson called it "The most original, striking, and powerful American ballet score with which I am acquainted." It is a tragedy about a rural youth named Paco who dreams of becoming a great bullfighter. He goes to Madrid, to him the "capital of the world" to see the great matadors and learn of life and women. Despite meeting three broken-down matadors he retains his idealism, in contrast to Enrique, another farm boy who earlier made a similar trip. When Paco continues to talk of the glory and courage of bullfighting, Enrique challenges him to a test of courage, a mock bullfight with Enrique hold a chair with knives are tied to two legs as "horns." Paco dies when he fails to sidestep quickly enough.

To the standard orchestra Antheil added a part for a Spanish dancer, writing into the score Flamenco-style foot-stampings and tappings. This unique solo part contributes an exciting audible subtext to the music, enhancing its strong physical appeal.

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