"Arturo Márquez's Danzón No. 2"
By HRJ
The principle of danzón is lightness. How easy and natural it is to surrender to its dance. Little by little, however, the danzón guides the body towards vertiginous emotional landscapes (joy, nostalgia, anxiety, desire, fear, freneticism...) whose traces of deep and complex sensuality fascinated the Mexican composer Arturo Márquez (1950), who to this day has composed nine danzones, of which the Danzón no. 2 has become so popular in the world that, next to the Huapango is considered a second Mexican national anthem.
The Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería will perform it on May 12 at the Nezahualcóyotl Concert Hall under the baton of Raúl Delgado along with Spanish Caprice by Rimski-Korsakov, Pavana para una infanta difunta by Ravel and Symphony of Toys by Edmund Angerer.
"What inspired Arturo Márquez to write his Danzón No. 2?"
On the gestation of his Danzón No. 2, Arturo Márquez explains:
“Through these experiences, I begin to learn its rhythms, its form, and its melodic contours by listening to the old recordings of Acerina y su Danzonera, and, drawn in by my fascination, I realize that the apparent lightness of the danzón is merely an introduction to a music brimming with sensuality and artistic rigor—a music that our older Mexicans continue to experience with nostalgia and joy as an escape into their emotional world, which, fortunately, we can still witness in the embrace between music and dance in Veracruz and in the dance halls of Mexico City. The Danzón No. 2 is a tribute to the medium that nourishes it. It seeks to get as close as possible to the dance, to its nostalgic melodies, to its rural rhythms, and even as it profanes its intimacy, its form, and its
harmonic language, it is a personal way of expressing my respect and emotion towards true popular music. The Danzón No. 2 was composed thanks to a commission from the Dirección de Actividades Musicales de la UNAM and is dedicated to my daughter Lily."
"How many danzones has Arturo Márquez written?"
Arturo Márquez has written eight danzones:
Danzón no.1 (1992) for tape with optional saxophone.
Danzón no. 2 (1993) for symphony orchestra.
Danzón no. 3 (1994) for flute, guitar and small orchestra.
Danzón no. 4 (1996) for chamber orchestra.
Danzón no. 5, Portales de madrugada (1997), for clarinet, saxophone, violin, cello and double bass.
Danzón no. 6 (2000) for saxophone and string orchestra
Danzón no. 7 (2001) for symphony orchestra
Danzón no. 8, Homage to Maurice Ravel (2004), for symphony orchestra
Danzón no. 9 (2017) for symphony orchestra.
"Did Arturo Márquez compose a danzón inspired by Ravel?"
The Danzón No. 8 by Arturo Márquez is dedicated to Maurice Ravel and inspired by a work by the French composer (the Concerto for the left hand for piano and orchestra), which at times conveys such a sense of freedom that it sounds jazzy.
Therefore, jazz beats at the bottom of the Danzón No. 8 by Arturo Márquez. A vague and elusive jazz, almost ghostly, that hovers between the contours of sinuous rhythms that evoke dances from North Africa. From a dance floor perspective, this danzón could well be described as atmospheric: different instruments enunciate the same melody during brief solo participations where they color the general sensuality with particular and intimate settings. The oboe, for example, is slow and nostalgic, soft and delicate; its steps are crossed and ethereal, as if it were playing through a dream. The trumpet, on the contrary, is fast and light, curious and lively; its steps are vertical and determined, on the verge of being invasive. The melody in common is sensual and extroverted, with broad flirtatious lines that always oscillate between insinuation and playfulness. And it is there, in the sensual indeterminacy, where lies the fascination of this Danzón No. 8 by Arturo Márquez: a gallant dance that at times is friendly and at times overtly erotic, but never ends up giving itself completely to either fun or risk.
"What is Arturo Márquez's musical background?"
Wide and varied. He has studied piano, violin and trombone. He has a deep knowledge of Mexican popular music, as well as rock and jazz. He studied composition at the Instituo Nacional de Bellas Artes with four of the most outstanding Mexican composers of the second half of the 20th century: Joaquín Gutiérrez Heras (1927-2012), Héctor Quintanar (1936-2013), Federico Ibarra (1946) and Manuel Enríquez (1926-1994). He perfected his composition skills in France under the guidance of Jacques Castérède (1926-2014).
"Besides the works by Arturo Márquez, what other symphonic danzones would you recommend?"
The Cuban Danzón (1994) by Aaron Copland conducted by Leonard Bernstein.
