Anton Arensky was a pupil of Rimsky-Korskov, succeeded Balakirev at the Court Chapel in St. Petersburg (in fact Sergei Lyapunov was his deputy – see DDA25084). The body of work he produced in his short lifetime featured operas, choral music, a number of orchestral works including two symphonies, chamber pieces, songs as well as several works for solo piano. He has been described as one of the most eclectic Russian composers of his generation, and influences of a good number of composers are evident in his work. He had an easy command of keyboard textures and produced some beautiful miniatures – many of which are present here.
Described by The New York Times as “a man whose nature was designed with pianos in mind”, Anthony Goldstone is one of Britain’s most respected pianists. A sixth-generation pupil of Beethoven through his great teacher Maria Curcio, Anthony Goldstone was born in Liverpool. He studied with Derrick Wyndham at the Royal Manchester College of Music (which later honoured him with a Fellowship), later with Curcio in London.
He has enjoyed a career encompassing six continents, the Last Night of the Proms (after which Benjamin Britten wrote to him, “Thank you most sincerely for that brilliant performance of my Diversions. I wish I could have been at the Royal Albert Hall to join in the cheers”), very many broadcasts and nearly seventy CDs (including the BBC issue of his London Promenade Concert performance of Beethoven's fourth Piano Concerto). He has an adventurous approach to repertoire and has been praised by Vienna's Die Presse for “his astonishingly profound spiritual penetration”. In the last few years Goldstone has become known for his acclaimed completions and realisations of works for solo piano and piano duet by Schubert, and for two pianos and solo piano by Mozart, all of which he has recorded on Divine Art CDs.He is also one half of the acclaimed and brilliant piano duo Goldstone and Clemmow with his wife Caroline. The duo has made many CDs for Divine Art and other labels.
This CD was released very briefly on Olympia – but not widely available as the label ceased trading shortly afterwards.