Rachmaninov's Vocalise, originally for wordless voice and piano, was arranged for piano trio by his close friend Julius Conus, a former pupil of Arensky.
Performer Biography
Tim Horton, the pianist of the Leonore Piano Trio, once replaced Alfred Brendel at short notice for two performances of Schoenberg's Piano Concerto.
Composition History
Arensky's Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor was conceived as a memorial to the cellist Karl Davidoff, a friend of both Arensky and Tchaikovsky.
Instruments
Karl Davidoff, to whom Arensky's Piano Trio No. 1 is dedicated, is considered the founder of the Russian school of cello playing.
Composer Biography
Anton Arensky, a Russian composer, was a professor at the Moscow Conservatory at age 21, where his pupils included Rachmaninov and Scriabin.
Compositional Technique
In Arensky's Piano Trio No. 1, the cello often takes on a prominent role, sometimes eclipsing the violin, making it almost a duo for cello and piano with an obbligato violin.
Compositional Technique
Arensky's Piano Trio No. 2 features a five-note 'motto' theme that appears in all its movements, creating a sense of unity.
