‘El bateo’ is a zarzuela in one act (genre chico) and four scenes, with music by Federico Chueca and libretto by Antonio Domínguez and Antonio Paso. The work is one of the representatives of the last works belonging to the genre chico, since with the arrival of the new century, the public's tastes changed completely in favor of shows such as the operetta, the musical magazine or variety shows.
Chueca's score delighted the discerning patterns of the ‘Teatro de la Zarzuela’. Once again, it effectively takes the form of a popular dance suite, with its catchy seguidillas, tango, habanera and the rest - many of them quoted in the rhythmically brilliant and popular ‘Preludio’.
Spanish arranger Sergio Rodríguez Pena now transcribed the wonderful ‘Prelude’ for Symphonic Band.