The first movement, Alborada, is a festive and exciting dance to celebrate the rising of the sun.
The second movement, Variazioni, begins with a melody in the horn section. Variations of this melody are then repeated by other instruments and sections of the orchestra.
The third movement, Alborada, presents the same dance as the first movement. The two movements are nearly identical, in fact, except that this movement has a different instrumentation and key.
The fourth movement, Scena e canto gitano (Scene and gypsy dance), begins with a brass fanfare and drumroll, and then a violin solo. The flute, clarinet, oboe, and harp all have solo cadenzas in this movement.
The fifth and final movement, Fandango asturiano, is an energetic dance from the Asturias region of northern Spain. The piece ends with one final statement of the theme from the first movement.