ARENSKY, ANTON STEPANOVICH  BIOGRAPHY

The Russian composer, conductor and pianist Arensky was a pupil of Rimsky-Korsakov at St. Petersburg Conservatory and later taught at the Moscow Conservatory, where his pupils included Rachmaninov and Scriabin. His compositions often reflect the influence of other composers, more particularly that of Tchaikovsky. He was musical director of the Imperial Chapel in St. Petersburg from 1895 until 1901 and thereafter continued his career as composer, pianist and conductor, travelling widely in the last two capacities. He died in 1906.

Orchestral Music

Arensky wrote two symphonies and a violin concerto, as well as a set of variations for strings on a theme by Tchaikovsky, a work originally for string quartet.

Chamber Music

The best known of Arensky's compositions is his Piano Trio in D minor, the first of two such works. This was written in 1894 and shows something of the influence of Mendelssohn.