El Gato Montes

El Gato Montes, Paso Doble Torero, 1916

Manuel Penella (1880-1939)

Saxophone Quartet or Saxophone Quintet

El Gato Montes by Manuel Penella arranged for Saxophone Quartet or Quintet. Spanish composer Manuel Penella wrote many works for the theater including opera and zarzuela. His best known work is the paso doble El Gato Montes or “The Bobcat” from the 1916 opera of the same name. Your audience will be shouting “OLE” and throwing their hats into the air when you play this lively paso doble!

This transcription is for saxophone quartet (S/AATB) or quintet (S/AAATB). It is scored to allow some flexibility in your ensemble. A soprano sax part is included as an alternate for the alto 1 part. The alto 3 saxophone part may be omitted if playing as a quartet.

Lively Spanish rhythms, a moderate allegro tempo (q = 104-112), semi-independent parts, and a moderate range make this a challenging but achievable piece for intermediate sax players. The brief length (under 3 minutes taking all repeats), simple time signature (2/4 throughout) and manageable key signature (G minor throughout) will contribute to your players’ success. After unison fanfares, the Soprano or Alto alternate takes the lead throughout but the supporting parts are featured in countermelodies and rhythmic figures. The Baritone provides a classic pasodoble bass line as the foundation.

• The range for each saxophone part is shown below.
• Audio and score excerpts are available above.
• Registered users can download a complete sample score and full length audio file of El Gato Montes on the ‘Samples’ tab.

About the Composer

Manuel Penella Moreno (31 July 1880 in Valencia – 14 January 1939 in Cuernavaca) was a Spanish composer. His father was the composer Manuel Penella Raga. His daughter, Magdalena Penella Silva, married the politician Ramón Ruiz Alonso; through her, he was the grandfather of actresses Emma Penella, Elisa Montés and Terele Pávez.

Manuel Penella’s most emblematic work is “El gato montés”, a composition of international renown. This masterpiece has been acclaimed for its emotionality and for capturing the essence of the Spanish lyrical genre. In addition to his eighty stage works, which include operas, zarzuelas, revues and musical comedies, Penella also left a fundamental legacy in the field of songs. Among his most outstanding compositions are “En tierra extraña”, which includes the pasodoble “Suspiros de España”, and “La Maredeueta”, both popularized by Concha Piquer.