A work composed by Ginastera in 1946 during his stay in the United States. Defining "criollo" is highly complex, but one possible explanation is that it refers to something uniquely Argentine, predicated on its connection to Europe. Ginastera hinted that this work marked a transitional period, moving from his early style to the next phase: "All the melodies and rhythms are Argentine, but they are used in a new, personal, and imaginative way, as if inspired by a dream of folklore."

In the first movement, clusters appear in the right hand, and jazz-like elements can be observed in the chord progressions, set to the rhythm of the zamba, a regional dance music. A characteristic feature of Ginastera's works from this period is the repeated sounding of the same note somewhere within the melody. In this work too, a D note constantly resonates at various pitches somewhere within the leisurely melody.

The second movement is characterized by the lively rhythm of the gato. Regarding the clusters that appear in the right hand from the beginning, the score explicitly indicates that they should be played with the palm of the hand. Furthermore, this movement is written in an ABABA structure, which bears a resemblance to the choreography of the gato (ABCBCB).

The third movement is characterized by a beautiful descending melody and an 11/8 time signature (6+5 beats). As Ginastera stated, "subjective and not entirely criollo," it is not possible to identify which melodic and rhythmic elements of regional dance music are employed. Ginastera's particular emphasis, and a highlight for the performer, would be the rapidly changing tempo in the latter half and the expressive power that accompanies it.

Regarding the fourth movement, Ginastera described it as "a poetic nocturne inspired by the Pampa." Rhythms reminiscent of the zamba appear, as do note sequences identical to open guitar strings, and also sequences with shifted pitches from those. It is a fantastical work, evoking the sound of a gaucho strumming a guitar echoing across the Pampa, enveloped in the silence of the night.

The fifth movement, as Ginastera described it, is "something like a sublimated malambo," a powerful yet playful work. With the indication "martellato" (with a hammering touch), sections where the time signature rapidly shifts between 6/8, 5/8, 3/4, and 7/8 feel as if various phantoms of gauchos are being shown without a moment's respite. In the subsequent coda, the tempo further accelerates, and it is filled with percussive energy. By incorporating the rhythm of the Milonga Pampeana (a combination of 3+3+2) within the Malambo rhythm, the work draws the audience into the experience of a gaucho galloping across the Pampa.