by Caiti Beth McKinney
Hello everyone! This month, I’m excited to share the works of Arturo Márquez with you! You may already be familiar with this composer because of his ever-popular Danzon No. 2, but he also has a rich repertoire of chamber music, including a woodwind quintet entitled Danza del Mediodía (which is one of my favorite pieces at the moment).
Márquez was born in Mexico to a family with a rich history of music-making. His father was a mariachi performer, and his grandfather was a folk musician as well. Their influence on the young Arturo cannot be overstated, as it is their instruction in a wide variety of Mexican musical styles which would later influence Márquez’s compositions. The composer had eclectic musical tastes in his childhood, stating that “…[his] adolescence was spent listening to Javier Solis, sounds of mariachi, the Beatles, Doors, Carlos Santana, and Chopin.” Additionally, Márquez had classical training at the Mexican Music Conservatory and the California Institute of the Arts, and he also took private composition lessons in France with Jacques Castérède.
Danza del Mediodía is an incredibly fun and challenging wind quintet inspired by the various musics drifting out of Mexican salons and cafes. Márquez made sure to feature every instrument at various times, including a lengthy and virtuosic horn solo towards the middle of the piece, which alternates in conversation with the bassoon. The solo is highly stylized, leaving plenty of room for artistic expression. The piece is unmistakably in Márquez’s voice, calling to mind clave rhythms and elements of Cuban and Mexican dance and folk music. Please enjoy this recording:
