An alcoholic and compulsive gambler, Anton Stepanovich Arensky started out as one of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's star pupils at the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music. Later, after becoming known for his distinctive musical style (which combined Tchaikovskian elegance with unusual meters), Arensky succeeded Mily Balakirev as the music director of the imperial chapel. After leaving the chapel, Arensky went on a series of concert tours; however, his debauched lifestyle quickly caught up with him, and he died of tuberculosis at the age of forty-four.
