Anton Stepanovich Arensky (1861-1906) was a Russian Romantic composer and music professor born in Novgorod, Russia.

Arensky had composed a number of songs and piano pieces by age nine. His father and mother moved to St. Petersburg, where he studied composition at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, as a student of Rimsky-Korsakov. After graduation in 1882 he became a professor at the Moscow Conservatory. Among his students were Scriabin, Rachmaninoff and Gretchaninov. In 1895 Arensky returned to St. Peterburg as director of the Imperial Choir, having been recommended by Balakirev. He retired in 1901, spending his time as a pianist, conductor, and composer.

Arensky died of tuberculosis in a Finnish sanitorium in 1906. It is alleged that drinking and gambling helped undermine his health.

Tchaikovsky was the greatest influence on Areksy's musical compositions. Indeed Rimsky-Korsakov said, "In his youth Arensky did not escape some influence from me; later the influence came from Tchaikovsky. He will quickly be forgotten." While it is true that Arensky is not as well-remembered as some of his contemporaries, his music is still occasionally played and recorded.

External links

• http://www.naxos.com/composer/arensky.htm
• http://stevenestrella.com/composers/index.html?composerfiles/arensky1906.html
• http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/a/arensky.html