El Diablo Suelto

“El diablo suelto” (The Devil on the loose) (1878) is Fernandez’s most famous piece. It was written as a waltz and it is usually performed as a fast Venezuelan joropo. It was composed for the piano, but it soon became part of the traditional canon, performed on any of the melodic instruments of this tradition. The piece was dedicated to the writers of the newspaper “El diablo suelto,” and it was published on the same newspaper for first time on August 19, 1878.