Danzón no. 2

Danzón No. 2 for orchestra is a composition by prominent Mexican composer Arturo Márquez. It is, along with José Pablo Moncayo's Huapango, Carlos Chávez's Sinfonia India and Silvestre Revueltas' Sensemaya, one of the most popular and significant frequently performed Mexican contemporary classical music compositions performed by orchestras.

Danzón no. 2 was commissioned by the National Autonomous University of Mexico and was debuted in 1994 in Mexico City by the Orchestra Filarmonica de la UNAM under the direction of Francisco Savin. The piece focuses on the accents rather than the time signatures, thus the tempo might seem to vary even though it doesn't, however the precision in every measure remains constant. This contemporary Mexican music literature expresses and reflects on a dance style called Danzón, which has its origins in Cuba but is a very important part of the folklore of the Mexican state of Veracruz. Márquez got his inspiration while visiting a ballroom in Veracruz.

A short film was made in 2009 using the piece as the main narrative device, in a Fantasia-like manner. 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 a cameo as the pianist of the dance-hall. It will be premiered at the 8th Morelia Film Festival as part of its official lineup.

External links

• Making Of Danzón No. 2 Interview about the making of a short film with his famous piece, in Spanish.