November / December 2013

Anton Arensky's String Quartets

From the Russian Romantic era, the string quartets of Tchaikovsky and Borodin are sometimes heard in concert, but not those, at least outside of Russia, of other worthy Russian composers such as Anton Arensky. This is a pity for his two string quartets are fine works deserving concert performance as well as a place on the stands of amateur players.

Anton Arensky (1861-1906) was the son of keen amateur musicians. His early training was as a pianist. At 18, he entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory where he developed into yet another of Rimsky Korsakov’s more than competent students. He ultimately became a professor at the Moscow Conservatory where Rachmaninov, Gliere, Skryabin and Conyus were students of his. Tchaikovsky and Taneiev were among his colleagues and friends.

String Quartet No.1 in G Major, Op.11 dates from 1888. The first movement, an Allegro, opens with a very dramatic and exciting first theme. A short Andante is a showcases Arensky's contrapuntal skill. It is followed by a Minuetto allegretto which is in canonic form. Here the influence of Rimsky-Korsakov can be heard. The finale, Variations sur un thème russe is clearly the most striking and exciting of the movements with many extraordinary effects in the succeeding variations. Arensky often returned to the variation format and this set clearly established him as one of the very best masters of this form.

Arensky composed his second string quartet some seven years later in 1895. String Quartet No.2 in a minor, Op.35 was originally scored for violin, viola and two cellos. It is one of the few, and quite possibly, the only work for this unusual combination. Admittedly, the use of a second cello rather than a second violin, gives a deep sonority which the standard string quartet cannot match, and no doubt, this was his intention as can be heard in the repeated opening chords to Quartet which are clearly intended to convey the Russian Orthodox funeral service. As wonderful as this combination is, his publisher correctly realized that very few copies of the work, in this format, would ever be sold and hence played. Therefore, he prevailed upon Arensky to arrange the work for standard string quartet which the composer did. It appeared as his Op.35a. This first movement, Moderato, is at once quite striking and reminiscent of a similar movement in Tchaikovsky’s third, and funereal sounding, string quartet. A dramatic second theme, while not exactly ‘happy,’ relieves the earlier somber mood which ultimately returns and closes this long but very finely-wrought movement. The second movment, Thème moderato et variations, is again somber; this time like a hymn from the Volga boatmen. It is said to have been based on a theme by Tchaikovsky. (This second movement, at his publisher's request, was orchestrated by Arensky and also appeared under the opus of 35a) Roughly half the length of this three movement work, the variations are quite elaborate with each instrument given the lead while the composer explores all of the tonal and textural possibilities of which four string instruments are capable. The mood lightens and at times wanders considerably from the original theme: here a scherzo, there a lyrical song, and at last a somber plaint. Certainly this is as fine a movement of chamber music as Arensky wrote. The relatively short finale Andante sostenuto-Allegro moderato begins in the same somber mood where previous movement left off. But this dirge-like heaviness is soon relieved by a robust church anthem tune which brings the quartet to rousing finish.

Either of these quartets is worthy of concert performance as well as study by amateurs. So, we hope quartets will take the time to listen and play them. You can hear soundbites from both quartets on our website. The parts to each are available from Edition Silvertrust.