A patron saint of Russian composers, M.P. Belaieff (1836–1903) gathered the best musicians of his generation around him, supporting them financially and popularizing their compositions. For this tribute album, Mozart Prize–winning soprano Elena Vassilieva joined forces with Quatuor Sine Nomine to perform 20th-century works published by Belaieff's music publishing house. Selections include Three Palms by Shostakovich's pupil, Mieczyslaw Vainberg (1919–96) and There Was No Wind by Pierre Boulez's protégé Ivan Tcherepnin (1943–98), plus three contemporary works: Four Songs—based on poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley—by Vladislav Shoot, a post-modernist Little Requiem by Alexander Wustin, and the plaintive Prayer (Kaddish) by Alexander Raskatov.