Danzón No. 2is an orchestral composition byMexicancomposerArturo Márquez.Along withCarlos Chávez'sSinfonia IndiaandSilvestre Revueltas'Sensemaya,Danzón No. 2is one of the most popular and most frequently performed orchestral Mexicancontemporary classical musiccompositions.Danzón No. 2gained great popularity worldwide when theSimón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of VenezuelaunderGustavo Dudamelincluded it on their programme for their 2007 European and American tour.[1]
Written for full orchestra, the piece features solos for clarinet, oboe, piano, violin, double bass, French horn, trumpet, flute, and piccolo. The piece has also gained an important spot in the modernconcert bandliterature through Oliver Nickel's arrangement.[citation needed]
Danzón No. 2was commissioned by theNational Autonomous University of Mexicoand was premiered in 1994 inMexico Cityby theOrchestra Filarmonica de la UNAMunder the direction ofFrancisco Savín.[2]The rhythmic interest in the piece is maintained through the use of varying accents andtempo.This staple of the contemporary Mexican music literature expresses and reflects on the dance style nameddanzón,which has its origins inCubabut is a very important part of the folklore of the Mexican state ofVeracruz.The music was inspired by a visit to a ballroom in Veracruz.[citation needed]
A short film of the same name was made in 2009 by Mexican filmmaker Guillermo Ortiz Pichardo, using the piece as the main narrative device, in aFantasia-like manner.[3]It is set in Mexico City in the 1940s, the golden age of danzón, and the style is an homage to the Mexican cinema of the period. The film features Arturo Márquez in acameoas the pianist of the dance-hall. It was premiered at the 8thMorelia International Film Festivalas part of its official lineup.[3]
The piece is included in the Amazon Video streaming service seriesMozart in the Junglein season two, episode six. A youth orchestra in Mexico City plays it under the direction of Rodrigo De Souza (a character based on Gustavo Dudamel), a talented young conductor and former member of the youth orchestra.[4]
References
edit- ^"Danzón no. 2".Baton Music.Retrieved4 March2024.
- ^"Arturo Márquez: Danzón No. 2".classicalexburns.com.Retrieved4 March2024.
- ^ab"Danzón no. 2".Morelia International Film Festival.Retrieved4 March2024.
- ^Tunefind website