• Born June 30 (July 12 Gregorian), 1861, in Novgorod
• Died February 25, 1906, near Terioki, Finland (now Zelenogorsk, Russia)
• Composed in 1894
• Duration: 13 minutes

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was not uncommon to hear a performance featuring two pianists, as for decades a solo pianist and accompanying pianist were a common instrumentation for the proliferation of piano concertos and symphonies (think of today’s standard recitals, in which we hear so many concertos in the solo instrument–piano format).

And while piano compositions for four hands are not standard in the professional repertoire of 21st-century classical music (at least in the mainstream), they nonetheless provide important insights into the styles, musical influences, and cultural expectations of the times in which they were written. A case in point is Anton Arensky’s Six Children’s Pieces for Piano, Four Hands, Op. 34. The child-like melodies and figures belie the depth of musical ideas and the variety of styles present in this work. The first movement, “Fairy Tale,” begins in a deceptively simple way before moving into more texturally adventurous territory. “Cuckoo” is perfectly evocative of its name, while “Tears” immediately conjures associations with Debussy through harmonic spacing, descending figures, and pianistic resonance. “Waltz” combines the charm of “Fairy Tale” with the refined nature of its namesake, and impressionistic timbres return in the gentle “Cradle Song.” The final movement, “Fugue on a Russian Theme,” calls for a sharp verticality in articulation, interlocking the two pianists in an exciting fugal exchange.