by Ben Hogwood. Picture of Arensky used courtesy of Wikipedia, unknown author
On this day, 165 years ago, a lesser known Russian composer by the name of Anton Arensky was born. Regular readers of Arcana may know that I have something of a soft spot for his music, which at its best channels the poise and elegance of Mendelssohn with the passion of Tchaikovsky. Earlier this year we learned about his songs, in the company of soprano Anastasia Prokofieva and pianist Sergey Rybin.
Yet there are many strings to Arensky’s bow, the most prominent of which is his Piano Trio no.1, a fine piece which you can listen to below, in a fine version from the Beaux Arts Trio:
by Ben Hogwood. Picture of Gershwin used courtesy of Wikipedia, unknown author
The great composer and songwriter George Gershwin died on this day in 1937. Here is his sparky Cuban Overture:
What tune does it use?
The first movement of the Sinfonietta, by Leoš Janáček (born on this day in 1854):
The Sinfonietta is a thrilling orchestral work, begun with a powerful brass fanfare but containing five incident-packed movements.
How does it work?
The main melody of the first movement Fanfare is the basis for Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s song, but in his keyboard part Keith Emerson refers to other parts of the work.
Then, on his solo from 2’40”, Emerson departs from Janáček’s blueprint with a characteristically incisive solo, backed by a virtuosic drum track. From 3’25” the style broadens to include explicit references to J.S. Bach, the Allemande of his French Suite no.1 in D minor:
What else is new?
You can hear the whole of the Sinfonietta below, in a thrilling performance from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Charles Mackerras, in a recording made in 1980:
Today, Canadian musician Michael Brook, Grammy-nominated film composer (Heat, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Into the Wild) and inventor of the ‘infinite guitar’, releases the first vinyl reissue of his 1992 4AD record Cobalt Blue and the vinyl debut of Live at the Aquarium.
These underrated gems from the 4AD catalogue have been newly remastered by Rashad Becker and are presented on Crystal Clear 2×LP and 2CD with artwork by Alison Fielding based on the original v23 designs.
Cobalt Blue is a timeless and quietly stunning collection of instrumental pieces and shimmering dreamscapes, featuring contributions from ambient music pioneer Brian Eno, composer & multi-instrumentalist Roger Eno, and Grammy-winning producer Daniel Lanois. Recorded later that year, Live at the Aquarium captures Brook’s rare solo performance in London, highlighting the hypnotic sustain and atmosphere that define his work.
Michael Brook’s Cobalt Blue & Live at the Aquarium is available from today, 10 July, digitally, on Crystal Clear 2xLP and 2xCD. To order, and for more information, head HERE.
The second Pye Corner Audio studio album for the excellent Sonic Cathedral label is a sequel to Let’s Emerge!, the long player with which he took his bow in 2022. Martin Jenkins, the prolific writer behind the pseudonym, moves further into Balearic warmth with the addition of guitars by Andy Bell, whose work has been enjoyed in this parish for a number of years.
Talking about the album, Jenkins says, “I wanted the whole record to be awash with distortion and saturation, but not in a blown-out guitar amp kind of way. Almost every element has been subject to some form of saturation.”
What’s the music like?
As you might expect, heat-soaked! The album is an ideal blend of electronica and shoegaze, topped off with some restrained euphoria in the form of vocals from Andy Bell and Ian Rankin. Bell proves an ideal match for the dreamy textures of Analogue Dreams, while Cycle goes through the gears with a strong electro bassline. Bell knows when to add propulsion in just the right measure, with a touch of Krautrock here and dubby house there.
Rankin’s involvement is a joy, his spoken word bringing a real frisson to The Breath Of Now, with its low-slung groove right out of the early 1990s. Towards the end of the album the temperature dips, the music cooler to the touch and exploring more shoegaze territory, but the move complements the first half nicely.
Does it all work?
It does – with More Songs About The Sun proving the ideal counterpart to its predecessor.
