Arensky's 1894 quartet swaps a violin for a second cello, darkening the ensemble into a rich elegy for his idol Tchaikovsky, who had died months earlier. Its centrepiece is a set of variations on Tchaikovsky's children's song “Legend”, music so beloved that Arensky rearranged it for string orchestra. Framed by a chant-like opening and a finale quoting the Russian Orthodox requiem, it is grief transfigured into glowing melody.
