Russian composer Anton Arensky (1861-1906).
Every third Tuesday of the month on ‘An Early Evening Stroll’, we explore the oeuvre of the almost forgotten Russian Romantic composer Anton Arensky (1861-1906). His most famous pupil was Rachmaninoff, who dedicated five piano pieces to his teacher. One of them became so famous that the other four were all but forgotten, too. We will be listening to one of them today; a moving elegy. In addition, a colourful mix of genres from Arenski’s oeuvre: a solemn cantata, a virtuoso suite for two pianos, three poetic pieces for choir – featuring the cello – and some piano pieces.
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Elegy, no. 1 from ‘Morceaux de fantaisie op. 3’
Konstantin Scherbakov, piano
Anton Arenski: Cantata on the Tenth Anniversary of the Coronation op. 26
Tatiana Sharova, soprano
Andrei Baturkin, baritone
Russian State Symphonic Cappella
Russian State Symphony Orchestra
Valery Polyansky
Anton Arenski: 3rd Suite for two pianos opus 33 (Variations)
Stephen Coombs en Ian Munro, pianos
Anton Arenski: Intermezzo op. 36 no. 12.
Margaret Fingerhut, piano
Anton Arenski: Three Vocal Quartets op. 57
Russian State Symphonic Cappella
Dmitri Miller, cello
Valery Polyansky
Anton Arenski: Étude op. 41 no. 4
Stephen Coombs, piano