The work was commissioned by the Cleveland Quartet with additional contributions from the Eastman School of Music and was completed May 6, 1988.
2 in the score program notes, writing:When I travelled with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to Moscow and Leningrad in May 1987 for performances of my music, I was struck by the warmth and generosity of spirit of the concertgoers we encountered, and I resolved that I would try in some small way to express my appreciation to and my admiration for them at a future time.
[1]The music is based upon the signature DSCH motif (D, E-flat, C, B) used by the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, which appears in its original form and a number of variations.
He added, "This is the result of a personal desire to communicate ultimately with listeners of all nationalities and should not be interpreted as a socioplitical commentary in any way.
[2][3] Reviewing the January 1989 New York City premiere, Charles McCardell of The Washington Post praised the string quartet, saying it "has a sort of Cold War grimness that spreads from a simple two-note motto initiated by the cello, then erupts in a full-blown ensemble clash, before finding a soothing B major resolution.