Anton Arensky/arr. Stephen A. Futrell - National Music Publishers
The pieces contained in Arensky's Three Quartets, Opus 57, are quaint and accessible. These editions contain transliterations of the Russian (along with pronunciation guide), and an English translation which intentionally was more to the essence and truer translation of the originally poetry, rather than forcing a rhyme scheme at the expense of the integrity of the original text. The expressive imagery, with colorful depictions of nature and the stars, is heightened by the lyric solo cello. From soaring lines reflecting the mountains in "Serenada," to the use of the upper register in the cello in "To the Extinguished Stars," to the running sixteenth notes mimicking "The Boiling Hot Spring," indeed the cello does not play a mere accompaniment role. The pieces can be performed together or individually a cappella in the absence of a cellist. However, employing the solo cello gives the performer and the listener the full visual and aural range of the expressive quality of these choral gems.