‘Rapsodia Mexicana’ (Mexican Rhapsody) is the second solo album by young pianist Argentina Durán. It brings together a selection of works by Mexican composers from different eras and styles, including romantic, nationalist, and impressionist pieces featuring works by the likes of Manuel M. Ponce, Felipe Villanueva, José Rolón, and Jesús Corona. My mother was an accompanist, so we had an upright grand piano at home, and I was forced to take lessons from the age of eight to sixteen, and while it is true I never fell in love with playing the instrument, I did listen to a lot of piano during those years, either through my mum or some of her many piano albums, especially David Haines or Joseph Cooper.
I actually cannot remember the last time I listened to an album like this, a solo pianist playing classical works. I guess the closest would be with one of Rick Wakeman’s releases, but I guess ‘The Yes Piano Variations’ doesn’t really count in this context. With all composers being Mexican, I must confess to not knowing any of the music being performed, but there is no doubt that Argentina has a wonderful touch, and here she is emphasising emotion and passion as opposed to playing music which would be more technically difficult and provide her with the ability to show off a little more. In some ways this reminds me of Anthony Phillips 1999 album, ‘Private Parts & Pieces X: Soirée’. While he is renowned as a 12-string guitarist, that album finds him playing delicate piano on his own compositions, and the delicacy of this release definitely reminds me of that. This is an album to be played at the end of the day when one wishes to wind down and let the ears relax.
Rating: 7/10
