Anton Arensky

Anton Stepanovich Arensky(Russian:Анто́н Степа́нович Аре́нский;12 July [O.S.30 June] 1861 – 25 February [O.S.12 February] 1905) was a Russian composer ofRomantic classical music,a pianist and a professor of music.

Anton Arensky, 1895

Biography

Arensky was born into an affluent, music-loving family inNovgorod,Russia.He was musically precocious and had composed a number of songs and piano pieces by the age of nine. With his mother and father, he moved toSaint Petersburgin 1879, after which he studied composition at theSaint Petersburg ConservatorywithNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

After graduating from the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in 1882, Arensky became a professor at theMoscow Conservatory.Among his students there wereAlexander Scriabin,Sergei Rachmaninoff,andAlexander Gretchaninov.

In 1895, Arensky returned to Saint Petersburg as the director of the Imperial Choir, a post for which he had been recommended byMily Balakirev.He retired from this position in 1901, living off a comfortable pension and spending his remaining time as a pianist, conductor, and composer.

Arensky died oftuberculosisin a sanatorium inPerkjärvi,in what was then the Russian-administeredGrand Duchy of Finland,at the age of 44. While very little is known about his private life, Rimsky-Korsakov alleges that drinking and gambling undermined his health.He was buried in theTikhvin Cemetery.

TheAntarcticArensky Glacierwas named after him.

Music

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovskywas the greatest influence on Arensky's musical compositions. Indeed,Rimsky-Korsakovsaid, "In his youth, Arensky did not escape some influence from me; later, the influence came from Tchaikovsky. He will quickly be forgotten." The perception that he lacked a distinctive personal style contributed to long-term neglect of his music, though in recent years, a large number of his compositions have been recorded. Especially popular are theVariations on a Theme of Tchaikovskyfor string orchestra, Op. 35a - arranged from the slow movement of Arensky's 2nd string quartet, and based on one of Tchaikovsky'sSongs for Children,Op. 54.

Arensky was, perhaps, at his best in the genre ofchamber music,in which he wrote twostring quartets,twopiano trios,and apiano quintet.

Selected works

Opera

• Сон на Волге(Son na Volge/Dream on the Volga), Op. 16 (1888), libretto by Anton Arensky afterAlexander Ostrovsky's playVoyevoda,premiere: January 2, 1891 [OS December 21, 1890],Moscow,Bolshoy Theatre
• Рафаэль(Rafael/Raphael), Op. 37 (1894), libretto by A. Kryukov, premiere: May 6 [OS April 24], 1894,Moscow,Conservatory
• Наль и Дамаянти(Nal' i Damayanti/Nal and Damayanti), Op. 47 (1903), afterIndianepos "Mahabharata",libretto byModest Ilyich Tchaikovskyafter the novel byVasily Zhukovsky,premiere: January 22, [OS January 9], 1904,Moscow,Bolshoy Theatre)

Ballet

• Egyptian Nights(Russian:Египетские ночи) a.k.a.Une Nuit d'ÉgypteorNuits égyptiennes(1900). Divertissement-Ballet in one act. Originally composed for theImperial Ballet,St. Petersburg. Choreography byLev Ivanov.Production was never given due to the death of the choreographer before completion.
  • revival byMikhail Fokinefor the Imperial Ballet.Imperial Mariinsky Theatre,8 March [O.S.24 February] 1908.
  • revival by Mikhail Fokine asCléopâtrefor theBallets Russes.Théâtre du Châtelet,Paris, 2 June 1909. Additional music byAlexander Glazunov,Mikhail Glinka,Modest Mussorgsky,Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov,Sergei Taneyev,andNikolai Tcherepnin.

Orchestral

• Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in F minor, Op. 2(1881)
• Symphony No. 1 in B minor, Op. 4(1883)
• Suite No. 1 in G minor, Op. 7 (1885)
• Intermezzo in G minor, Op. 13 (1882)
• Symphony No. 2 in A major, Op. 22 (1889)
• Suite No. 2 'Silhouettes', Op. 23 (originally for 2 pianos, 1892)
• Suite No. 3 'Variations in C major', Op. 33 (originally for 2 pianos, 1894)
• Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky,Op. 35a, for string orchestra (1894)
• Fantasia on Themes of Ryabinin, Op. 48, for piano and orchestra (1899), also known as Fantasia on Russian Folksongs
• Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 54 (1891)
• Pamyati Suvorova (To the Memory ofSuvorov,1900)

Chamber

• String Quartet No. 1 in G major, Op. 11 (1888)
• Serenade, Op. 30, No. 2, for violin and piano
• Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32(1894)
• String Quartet No. 2in A minor, Op. 35 (1894), scored either for standard string quartet or for violin, viola and two cellos
• Piano Quintet in D major, Op. 51 (1900)
• Two Pieces, Op. 12, for cello and piano
• Four Pieces, Op. 56, for cello and piano
• Piano Trio No. 2 in F minor, Op. 73(1905)

Piano

(for solo piano unless otherwise specified)

• Suite for Two Pianos No. 1 in F major, Op. 15 (1888)
• Suite for Two Pianos No. 2, Op. 23, "Silhouettes" (1892), also orchestral version
• FourMorceaux,Op. 25 (1893)
• SixEssais sur des rythmes oubliés,Op. 28 (ca. 1893)
• Suite for Two Pianos No. 3 in C major, Op. 33, "Variations" (pub. 1894), also orchestral version
• 24Morceaux caractéristiques,Op. 36 (coveringall 24 major and minor keys) (1894)
• Four Etudes, Op. 41 (1896)
• ThreeMorceaux,Op. 42 (1898)
• Six Caprices, Op. 43 (1898)
• Près de la mer,six esquisses (sketches), Op. 52 (1901)
• Six Pieces, Op. 53 (1901)
• Suite for Two Pianos No. 4, Op. 62 (1903)
• Twelve Preludes, Op. 63 (1903)
• Twelve Pieces forPiano four hands,Op. 66 (1903)
• Arabesques (suite), Op. 67 (1903)
• Twelve Etudes, Op. 74 (1905)

Choral

• Cantata for the Tenth Anniversary of the Sacred Coronation of Their Imperial Highnesses,Op. 25 (1893)
• The Fountain of Bakhchisarai,Op. 46, cantata
• Three Vocal Quartets, Op. 57, with cello accompaniment

• The Diver,Op. 61, cantata

Solo vocal

• Romances (4), for voice and piano, Op. 17

Arrangements of Arensky's music

• Tempo di Valse from the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor, Op.54, arranged for violin and piano byJascha Heifetz

External links

• Works by or about Anton Arenskyat theInternet Archive
• Biography on Dr. Estrella's Incredibly Abridged Dictionary of Composers
• Texts and translations of Anton Arensky's vocal works at the LiederNet Archive
• Anton Arensky Chamber Music discussion of works and soundbites
• Brief overview of his life and information about Opus 35
• Free scores by Anton Arenskyat theInternational Music Score Library Project(IMSLP)
• Free scores by Anton Arenskyin theChoral Public Domain Library(ChoralWiki)