This sequence of five short movements may be played independently but would best be heard as the sequel and finale to Études-Tableaux Book 1 for piano trio, whose basic material it develops further.
The five movements are like snapshots of different landscapes whose associations trigger fleeting memories and images including shadowy allusions to Mendelssohn, Haydn, Liszt, plainsong and gypsy music. The title, stolen from Rachmaninov, suggests a balance between music both abstract and illustrative, virtuoso or dramatic.
Études-Tableaux Book 2 was commissioned by the Schubert Ensemble of London and made possible by financial assistance from the Arts Council of Great Britain. It was first performed by the Schubert Ensemble of London, at the Wigmore Hall, London, on 9 April 1987.