Anton Arensky

Anton Stepanovich Arensky (; – ) was a Russian composer of Romantic classical music, pianist, conductor and professor of music. He is known especially for his chamber music, songs and piano works, and for a style often associated with the lyricism of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Biography Arensky was born into an affluent, music-loving family in Novgorod, Russian Empire. His father was a doctor and amateur cellist, while his mother was a pianist; Arensky began piano lessons as a child and was composing songs and piano pieces by the age of nine.

After graduating, Arensky was appointed to the Moscow Conservatory, where he taught harmony, counterpoint and composition. His pupils included Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Scriabin, Reinhold Glière, Alexander Goldenweiser, Konstantin Igumnov, Georgy Konyus and Arseny Koreshchenko.

The Antarctic Arensky Glacier was named after him by the USSR Academy of Sciences in 1987.

Music Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was the most important influence on Arensky's mature musical language. The perception that Arensky lacked a strongly individual style contributed to the long-term neglect of much of his music, though his chamber works and some orchestral pieces continued to attract performers.

Arensky's best-known work is the Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky, Op. 35a, for string orchestra. It originated as the slow movement of his String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 35, written in 1894 in memory of Tchaikovsky. The theme is based on "Legend", No. 5 from Tchaikovsky's Sixteen Songs for Children, Op. 54. He also wrote more than 100 piano pieces, including suites for two pianos, preludes, studies and character pieces. 2006 Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 2 Paul Van Ness, piano; Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra; Nayden Todorov, conductor Music Minus One MMO3080 A Music Minus One edition. 2008 Arensky: Piano Concerto in F minor Konstantin Scherbakov, piano; Russian Philharmonic Orchestra; Dmitry Yablonsky, conductor Naxos 8.570526 Includes the Piano Concerto, Ryabinin Fantasia, Pamyati Suvorova and other orchestral works. 2009 Tchaikovsky & Arensky: Piano Concertos Felicja Blumental, piano; Orchestra of the Vienna Musikgesellschaft; Michael Gielen, conductor Brana Records Collection BR0013 Includes Arensky's Piano Concerto in F minor. 2011 Arensky: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2 & Piano Quintet Ying Quartet; Adam Neiman, piano Dorian Sono Luminus DSL-92143 Includes both string quartets and the Piano Quintet. 2011 Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov: Piano Trio; Anton Arensky: Piano Trio No. 1 Kinsky Trio Prague Praga PRD250285D Includes Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32. 2012 Tchaikovsky: The Seasons; Arensky: Piano Trio No. 1 Arensky Trio Northern Flowers NFPMA9997 Includes Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32. 2012 Borodin: String Sextet; Glazunov: String Quintet; Arensky: String Quartet No. 2 Nash Ensemble Onyx 4067 Includes String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 35. 2013 Arensky & Taneyev: Piano Quintets Piers Lane, piano; Goldner String Quartet Hyperion CDA67965 Includes Piano Quintet in D major, Op. 51. 2025 Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings; Arensky: Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky Philharmonia Hungarica; Antal Doráti, conductor Eloquence 4845531 Includes Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky, Op. 35a, recorded in 1958.