Arabesque

Genari Karganov (1858 – 1890) (or Genary Korganov) was a Russian composer of Armenian descent.

He studied music with Carl Reinecke, Judasson and Wenzel in Leipzig and piano with Louis Brassin in St. Petersburg. He later worked as a professor of piano in Tbilisi.

His works are influenced by Rimsky-Korsakow and Tchaikovsky. He composed mainly for the piano, and most of his works were educational in nature.

"Arabesque" is the tenth work in a collection of "Twelve Arabseques," published in 1880. It is another of those "delightful piano miniatures" and the sort of thing I always wished I could play on the piano.

This fine transcription was done by the American organist and composer, Richard Keys Biggs (16 September 1886 — 17 December 1962) received an Hon.Mus.D from Loyola University in Chicago. He studied in London with Sir Richard Runciman Terry, the founder of the Choir and Choir School at Westminster Cathedral (Roman Catholic) in London.

He worked in Southern California, and was organist of the San Diego Exposition, as well as of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Long Beach, as well as several other churches in Canada and in Brooklyn, New York. In all these churches, he either founded or directed choirs of men and boys, so, that "elevates" him, at least in my eyes... ;-). In the 1940’s he was director of the men's and boy's choir of the new church and parochial school at Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood. California.

The arrangement was published in 1916 by J. Fischer & Brother, New York City.

Biggs has created an arrangement that is fully organistic, but still maintains the spirit of the original work for piano.

The score is attached below, as well as a photo of Richard Keys Biggs. I could find no photos of the composer, Génari Karganoff.

MORE Rowley COMING SOON!

Hopefully tomorrow... :-)