ARENSKY Anton Stepanovich

Born June 30, 1861, in Novgorod. Died Feb. 12, 1906. His parents - his father, a doctor, an amateur cellist, and his mother, sister of famous writers Potekhin, good pianist - took care of the musical development of his son, began training him on the piano with the age of seven. He tried to compose since 9 years. Musical education continued in a course of Rousseau, in St. Petersburg, under the guidance of Professor St. Petersburg. Conservatory KK. Zike. At the end of the course in high school A. worked in St. Petersburg. Conservatory professors Johannsen (counterpoint and fugue) and Rimsky-Korsakov (the theory of composition and orchestration). Even in the Conservatory, he composed a piano concerto (op. 2) and part of his opera "The Dream on the Volga" (on theme Ostrovsky). Examination of his work - ballad "Forest King" (Goethe), with chorus and vocal solos, as well as symphonic scherzo - were recognized as outstanding. In 1882 he was invited lecturer at the Moscow Conservatory of harmony and counterpoint, and then it became one of the eminent professors of the same objects and the theory of composition. Then he met in Moscow with PI. Tchaikovsky, highly tsenivshim his talent (cm. Life PI. Tchaikovsky, op. Modest Tchaikovsky). During a professorship. published theoretical work ( "A Guide to the practical study of harmony", "1000 problems" for him and the "Guide to the study of forms of instrumental and vocal music"), adopted textbooks in the conservatory, and published in 1900, second edition. And the disciples. became known composers SV. Rachmaninoff, AN. Scriabin, G.E. Konyus and AN. Koreshchenko. During 7 years A. was conductor of the Russian Choral Society, performed occasionally in the symphony conductor of the Russian Musical Society and was a member of the Supervisory Board at the Synodal School of Church Singing. In 1895 he was appointed manager of the court chapel and moved to St. Petersburg. A. Opera, "Dream on the Volga", staged at Moscow's Bolshoi Theater in 1892. One-act opera (or rather, scenes) Raphael staged in 1894 at the Mariinsky Theater, the opera "Nal and Damayanti" (libretto by M. Tchaikovsky at Zhukovsky) - in Moscow's Bolshoi Theater in 1894 and in St. Petersburg. Mariinsky Theater in 1908. Orchestra And. wrote two symphonies: H-moll and A-dur and three suites. For piano and orchestra, he composed a fantasy on Russian themes folk singer Ryabinina. In the field of chamber music A. has left valuable works: 2 string quartets, 2 piano trios and a piano quintet. An excellent pianist, A. performed several times in concert. A great impression he made in St. Petersburg he had brought from Moscow in 1895 trio D-moll, in which the exciting game played piano. 5 suites written for two pianos, 4 hands, 6 pieces - for piano 4 hands, more than 100 pieces - for one piano, the last stand by the original intent "Essais sur des rhytmes oublies". In the realm of vocal music include: Cantata 10 th anniversary of the coronation, . two ballads - "Cup" (Schiller) for solo, . choir and orchestra and "Wolves" for solo and orchestra, . Choirs ( "Upas Tree"), . Quartets, . duets and more than 60 songs for one voice with piano accompaniment,
. During management of A Cappella. wrote a series of spiritual and musical compositions: "Our Father", "Cherubim", "Praise the Lord", "Christ is Risen" to the voices of children and others, with great musical merit, they do not differ strict church style. After leaving in 1901 to resign, and. wholeheartedly devoted himself to creative work, writing more: ballet "Night in Egypt" (The Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg., 1900), orchestral overture "Marguerite Gautier" (on the plot of the novel A. Dumas), music (solo, chorus and orchestra) to the Fountain of Bakhchisarai Pushkin number of poetic and colorful orchestral pieces with melodeklamatsiey of poems in prose IS. Turgenev (filled with VF. Komissarjevskaya in 1903 in St. Petersburg). The last time A. made before the public in 1904 as a conductor of his beautiful variations for orchestra on a theme by Tchaikovsky legend: "Christ was a baby garden". The last years of his life a. had lived in Nice, in the Crimea, but the disease (consumption) did not respond to treatment. Several of his works, including the largest - "The Tempest" (Shakespeare), already released on the author's death by Jurgenson published nearly all his works. Buried A. the cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg. - In his works, A. is a master in possession of all means of modern compositional techniques. Its melody is noble, beautiful, plastic, naturally, captures the warmth and sincerity of expression, his harmony is rich, but not pretentious, colorful orchestration, transparent, and often resembles the techniques of Rimsky-Korsakov; texture is clear and complete. Taste, . elegance, . Grace effect everywhere in his work, . but his own bright personality, he did not have, . which aroused, . probably, . more severe sentence by Rimsky-Korsakov: "I forgot it will be soon" ( "Chronicle of my musical life", . Petersburg., . 1909),
. In his writings the influence of Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schumann, particularly strongly - Tchaikovsky, very akin to him by the nature of talent, then Rimsky-Korsakov ( "Dream on the Volga") and Borodin. A Talent. - Predominantly lyrical. His dramatic music is not a strong part of his talent, reflected most fully in his piano works, songs and chamber music. Specific Russian style in his works A. develop, being a European-eclectic. At a certain nervousness, pain, broken, it was pointed out by the instability of Tchaikovsky. These features affected, and in his work. Nat. Timofeev