That's not to say Márquez writes pop tunes for orchestra. His melodies are often quite intricate, and carefully orchestrated to give a variety of expressions and texture to the music. Márquez's use of the folk and pop traditions of his country might be compared to the ways Brahms and Dvorak used similar materials for their shorter works.
Márquez has composed a series of eight Danzons using the traditional form for this genre. Danzon No. 2 is the most-performed of the set. It begins with a soft, gentle bossa nova rhythm. Márquez's imaginative orchestration and solid motivic development make this more than just light background music, though.
Another popular work by Márquez is the Conga del fuego. This work has all the fire and excitement of a dance hall conga, though with far more sophisticated musical development.
Zarabandeo is a work for clarinet and piano. Folk elements are farther in the background in this work, which feature odd-meter rhythms. In this stripped-down setting of just two instruments, it's easier to hear the complexity of Marquez's melodies.
The Homenaje a Gismonti is an interesting work for string quartet. Egberto Gismonti is a Brazilian composer and multi-instrumentalist. In this composition, Márquez uses idioms and rhythms from Brazilian music to pay tribute to Gismonti's style.
Arturo Márquez is a major figure in Mexican classical music, and thanks to champions like Gustavo Dudamel, he's becoming better known in America, too. Since most of his works are quite short, Marquez's music is often recorded for compilations. The Recommended Recordings listings reflect that. I, for one, would be interested in hearing all eight Danzons performed as a group, and would really like to hear some of his more cerebral compositions.
Recommended recordings
Four, For Tango
Fiesta
Conga Line in Hell: Modern Class Latin America
Mi Alma Mexicana (My Mexican Soul)
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