Anton Arensky
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Anton Stepanovich Arensky (Антон Степанович Аренский) (July 12, [OS 30 June] 1861, Novgorod – February 25 [OS February 12], 1906 Perkijarvi, Finland), was a Russian Romantic composer and music professor born in Novgorod, Russia.
Arensky had composed a number of songs and piano pieces by age nine. His father and mother moved to St. Petersburg in 1879, where he studied composition at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, as a student of Rimsky-Korsakov. After graduation in 1882 he became a professor at the Moscow Conservatory. Among his students were Scriabin, Rachmaninoff and Gretchaninov. In 1895 Arensky returned to St. Petersburg as director of the Imperial Choir, having been recommended by Balakirev. He retired in 1901, spending his time as a pianist, conductor, and composer.
Arensky died of tuberculosis in a Finnish sanatorium in 1906. It is alleged that drinking and gambling undermined his health.
Tchaikovsky was the greatest influence on Arensky's musical compositions. Indeed Rimsky-Korsakov said, "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 the orchestral Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky based on one of the composer's Songs for Children, Op. 54. Arensky was perhaps at his best in chamber music, in which he wrote two string quartets, two piano trios, and a piano quintet.
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[edit] Selected works
[edit] Operas
- Son na Volge (Сон на Волге – A dream on the Volga, libretto by Anton Arensky after Alexander Ostrovsky's play "Voyevoda", 1888, premiere: January 2, 1891 [OS December 21, 1890], Moscow, Bolshoy Theatre)
- Rafael (Рафаэль – Raphael, 'the musical scenes from epoch of Renaissance', libretto by A. Kryukov, 1894 May 6 [OS April 24], 1894, Moscow, Conservatory)
- Nal' i Damayanti (Наль и Дамаянти – Nal and Damayanti, after Indian epos "Mahabharata", libretto by Modest Tchaikovsky after the novel by Vasily Zhukovsky, 1903, premiere: January 22, [OS January 9], 1904 St Petersburg), Moscow, Bolshoy Theatre)
[edit] Ballet
- Noch v Egipte or Egipetskiye nochi (Ночь в Египте or Египетские ночи – Egyptian Nights Opus 50 1900
[edit] Others
- Opus 2: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in F minor
- Opus 4: Symphony No. 1 in B minor
- Opus 11: String Quartet No. 1 in G major
- Opus 15: Suite for Two Pianos No. 1 in F major
- Opus 22: Symphony No. 2 in A major
- Opus 23: Suite for Two Pianos No. 2 "Silhouettes"
- Opus 25: Cantata for the 10th anniversary of the Coronation
- Opus 25: Impromptu No.1 for piano solo
- Opus 32: Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor
- Opus 33: Suite for Two Pianos No. 3 "Variations"
- Opus 35: String Quartet for Two Cellos No. 2 in A minor
- Opus 35a: Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky
- Opus 46: Cantata "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai"
- Opus 48: Fantasia for Piano and Orchestra on Themes of Ryabinin
- Opus 51: Piano Quintet in D major
- Opus 54: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor
- Opus 62: Suite for Two Pianos No. 4
- Opus 63: Twelve Preludes for Piano
- Opus 61: Cantata "The Diver"
- Opus 73: Piano Trio No. 2 in F minor
[edit] External links
- Biography on Dr. Estrella's Incredibly Abridged Dictionary of Composers
- Anton Arensky's works on The Lied and Art Song Texts Page
- Find-A-Grave profile for Anton Arensky
- Brief overview of his life and information about Opus 35
- Free scores by Anton Arensky at the International Music Score Library Project (Public domain)
