Dubensky, Arcady

Dubensky, Arcady, Russian-American violinist and composer; b. Viatka, Oct. 15, 1890; d. Tenafly, N.J., Oct. 14,1966. He learned to play the violin in his youth, and then was a student of Hfimaly (violin), Ilyinsky (composition), and Arends (conducting) at the Moscow Cons. (1904–09; diploma, 1909). After playing 1st violin in the Moscow Imperial Opera orch. (1910–19), he settled in N.Y. in 1921 and was a violinist in the N.Y. Sym. Orch. (1922–28) and the N.Y Phil. (1928–53). While he composed in a conservative idiom, he made adroit use of unusual instrumental combinations.

Works

DRAMATIC Opera : Romance with Double Bass (1916; N.Y., Oct. 31, 1936); Downtown (1930); On the Highway (1936); 2 Yankees in Italy (1944). I n c i d e n t a l M u s i c To : Tarkington’s Mowgli (1940). ORCH.: Sym. (1916); Russian Bells, symphonic poem (N.Y, Dec. 29, 1927); Intermezzo and Complement (1927); From Old Russia (1927); Gossips for Strings (Philadelphia, Nov. 24, 1928); Caprice for Piccolo and Orch. (1930); The Raven for Narrator and Orch. (1931); Prelude and Fugue (1932; Boston, April 12, 1943); Fugue for 18 Violins (Philadelphia, April 1, 1932); Tom Sawyer, overture (Philadelphia, Nov. 29, 1935); Political Suite: Russian Monarchy, Nazi and Fascist, Communist (radio broadcast, N.Y, Sept. 17, 1936); Serenade (1936); Rondo and Gigue for Strings (1937); Fantasy on a Negro Theme for Tuba and Orch. (1938); Stephen Foster: Theme, Variations, Finale (1940; Indianapolis, Jan. 31, 1941); Orientale (1945); Fugue for 34 Violins (1948); Concerto grosso for 3 Trombones, Tuba, and Orch. (1949); Trumpet Overture for 18 Toy Trumpets and 2 Bass Drums (N.Y, Dec. 10,1949); Trombone Concerto (1953). CHAMBER : 2 string quartets (1932, 1954); Variations for 8 Clarinets (1932); Theme and Variations for 4 Horns (1932); String Sextet (1933); Prelude and Fugue for 4 Double Basses (1934); Suite for 4 Trumpets (1935); Suite for 9 Flutes (1935); Song of November for Oboe and Piano (1950).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire