If the Anton Arensky Suites for Two Pianos do not exhibit the original genius of those composed by Rachmaninov during the same period, they are delightfully charming and tremendous fun to play, reminiscent of a joyous era leading up to the collapse of the Western World as it was then known.
The influence of Tchaikovsky is obvious in this music and perhaps the fact that Arensky did not venture very far beyond may be disappointing to many listeners. But to those who regret the fact that Tchaikovsky's output for piano is relatively limited, this music does fill a need. And for those who love and play two piano music, it is a blessing.
The most popular of the movements from the Arensky Suites is the Waltz from Suite 1 Opus 15. We will hear this played first by the one of the great two piano teams, Harold Bauer and Ossip Gabrilowitsch. Individually both are spectacular virtuoso pianists. Together they make magic. This is how this music should be played. The performance of the Waltz movement by Ivan Davis and Carlo Grante is also a treasure, very stately, very elegant.
There are fine performances of the first Suite by Polina Leschenko & Mauricio Vallina, of both Suites by Daniel Blumenthal and Robert Groslot, and a remarkable 1892 Edison cylindar recording of several excerpts from the second suite played by Sergei Taneyev and Paul Pabst. Taneyev was a fellow composer and colleague of Arensky's at the Moscow concervatory who also taught Rachmaninov and Scriabin. Pabst, another colleague, was one of the greatest professors of piano in the history of the Moscow conservatory. The sound is very poor but the authenticity of the performance is undeniable.
Suite 1 for Two Pianos in F Major Op 15 II Valse Harold Bauer and Ossip Gabrilowitsch Recorded in 1929
Suite 1 for Two Pianos in F Major Op 15 Daniel Blumenthal & Robert Groslot
I Romance
II Valse
III Polonaise
Suite 1 for Two Pianos in F Major Op 15 Polina Leschenko & Mauricio Vallina
I Romance II Waltz (beginning)
II Waltz (conclusion) III Polonaise
Suite 1 for Two Pianos in F Major Op 15 II Valse Ivan Davis & Carlo Grante Recorded in 1988
Suite 1 for Two Pianos in F Major Op 15 Julius Kim & Jiae Kim
I Romance
II Waltz
Suite 1 for Two Pianos in F Major Op 15 Vittoria Caracciolo & Nunzio Dello Iacovo
II Valse
III Polonaise
Suite 1 for Two Pianos in F Major Op 15 Paola Bruni & Pasquale Iannone
II Valse
III Polonaise
Suite 2 for Two Pianos Op 23 'Silhouettes' Daniel Blumenthal & Robert Groslot
I Le Savant - II La Coquette - III Polichinelle
IV Le Reveur - V La Danseuse
Suite 2 for Two Pianos Op 23 'Silhouettes' Sergei Taneyev and Paul Pabst Recorded in 1892
I Le Savant
III Polichinelle
IV Le Reveur
Suite 4 for Two Pianos Op 62 III Le Rêve unidentified pianists
12 Pieces for Two Pianos Op 66 Duo Tatjana & Leonid Schick
And click on Concert Tickets to explore upcoming concerts and the availability of concert tickets in your area. If you live in San Francisco, for example, just type "classical concerts in San Francisco" in the search box and voila!
