The virtuoso pianist Argentina Durán and the rescue of “Mexican Rapsody”

MEXICO CITY (apro).– The young and virtuoso pianist Argentina Durán, the first woman to play that instrument in the National Symphony Orchestra, presents her most recent production: Rapsodia Mexicana, with which she rescues a little-known composer, José Corona, in addition to discussing the corridos tumbados and the pressure of age in his union in an interview with Proceso.

Although the album has already been on digital platforms since April 26, it will be available with Dolby Atmos immersive audio technology starting May 3, the date on which Durán (Xalapa, Veracruz, 1997), will present his album to the public. volume in the Manuel M. Ponce Room of the Palace of Fine Arts at 6:00 p.m.

Recorded in 2023 in the legendary and recently renovated Sala Silvestre Revueltas at Churubusco Studios with an exceptional Yamaha CFX piano, Rapsodia Mexicana is distinguished by being the first classical piano album produced in Mexico with Dolby Atmos immersive audio technology.

The album contains works by Mexican composers from diverse periods and styles, a romantic, nationalist and impressionist repertoire with works by Manuel M. Ponce, Felipe Villanueva, José Rolón, Mario Ruiz Armengol and others perhaps less known, as is the case by Jesús Corona, author of the work that gives the album its title and has never been recorded until now.

In an interview with Proceso, Durán (@argentinaduranpianista on Instagram, where she has 244 thousand followers), considered one of the representatives of the new generation of concert music performers, narrates what this solo album implies:

“It has its origins in a childhood memory of having heard ‘Mexican Rapsody’, a classmate who was more advanced played it and I liked it a lot. When I later looked for references to the piece I found that it had never been recorded, and in fact there is not much information What caught my attention the most about the composer was his indigenous roots, because he lived in a time when the majority were Creole and Spanish composers. Corona composed a work as difficult as a Liszt study, and I don’t understand why it hadn’t been recorded before.

“Now that I was given the opportunity for this album, when they asked me what Mexican works I had in mind, I immediately thought of ‘Rapsodia Mexicana’, they accepted it and we created – because it was teamwork – a framework that could highlight the piece. with the style of romantic composers. ‘Mexican Rapsody’ contemplates ‘Adelita’, ‘Valentina’ and ‘La cucaracha’, as if it were a medley with thousands of scales and chords and a very brilliant work, and technically difficult, is the central work and from them were integrated all the others.”

Directed by Rosino Serrano and José Luis Esquivel, this being the second recording they have produced for Durán (the first was El sonido de la plata, 2021), the volume has Luis Felipe Herrera, in charge of audio engineering, mixing and mastering in their studio, Masterhead Lab. While the Dolby Atmos mix was done at the Liquid Lab + Gramercy Post studios, in New York, United States.

The recurring theme in music…

On the topic of “pressure” in the classical music industry, especially due to age and child prodigies, and the idea of ​​greater prestige at a younger age and how much it has changed, the pianist explains:

“The issue of age and child prodigies is still stressful, the younger you are it’s like ‘the better’, because you can be more recognized, but in reality the experiences that help in interpretation and repertoire come when you are older, and that only comes from maturity and time.

“In general we get carried away by the rush, but it shouldn’t be like that at all, it has been done (in music) for a long time, but I think it should change, I hope it happens.”

Graduated from the Faculty of Music of the Universidad Veracruzana and with a master’s degree in Performance of Mexican Classical Music from the National Conservatory of Music of Mexico, Durán also has postgraduate studies at Chicago College of Performing Arts. And she relates that, although studies are an important foundation in the career of musicians, it is teamwork that gives experience and a basis for new levels, she says:

“My greatest school has been my work at the National Symphony. Since I joined I began to learn much more about orchestral music, the work of directors, rehearsals, and musicians who truly have a high level.”

“In the orchestra there is no pressure to pass an exam but to do well in a concert that people pay to go and enjoy, and of course they want to hear the best, and you want to give your best, it is another type of pressure.”

In relation to what he does in his free time, he explained that he usually exercises and watches movies or series on platforms, and that when it comes to music he likes to listen to everything, he even talked about lying down corridos:

“Mexican culture has gained strength, but you have to be careful in the lyrics and what is promoted, if you talk about the musical genre, the corridos are good, very instrumental, the theme is what they say.”

After the presentation of ‘Rapsodia Mexicana’ this May 3, Argentina Durán will travel to the city of Puebla (City Theater) for an individual act this May 4 at 7 p.m. with the concert “Emperador” by Beethoven, where the venue’s new piano will debut; After that, on May 25 she will repeat the act, but in Guadalajara, Jalisco, at the Santander Performing Arts Complex at 7:30 p.m.