Alfred Schnittke’s second string quartet, here in an arrangement for strings by Misha Rach-levsky Lamento for Strings, was written and dedicated to the memory of movie director Larisa Shepitko. Shepitko’s tragic death interrupted their work on the film «Adieu», for which Schnittke was composing the music. The second quartet reflects the tragic events surrounding Shepitko’s death and the composer’s ensuing pain and sorrow.

The use of intonations from ancient Russian sacred chorales adds to the poignancy of this profound work. The significance of this new recording, which the composer himself praised, has led Claves to release it alone on a compact disc, although only some twenty minutes in length. It is accompanied by a second CD with other recordings which reflect the theme of lament: Dimitri Chostakovitch’s Requiem for Strings (from Claves CD 50-9115), Richard Strauss’ Metamorphoses (from Claves CD 50-9412), and Guillaume Lekeu’s Adagio for Strings (from Claves CD 50-9325).