He may have passed away a quarter century ago, but the spirit of Russian film director Andrey Tarkovsky continues to loom large, and not just in the world of cinema. The connection between film and music has long been an intimate one, dating back to the early silent days, when pianists provided a live (and often improvised) soundtrack in theaters around the world. It's hard to imagine many films without the scores that not only add weight to the narrative, but stand alone as independent, self-contained works. But beyond actual scoring, there are artists who find inspiration in the oeuvre of film directors, with French pianist Francois Couturier's ECM debut, Nostalghia—Song for Tarkovsky (2006), and follow-up solo piano recital, Un jour si blanc (2010), both revolving around music—both written and created spontaneously—inspired by Tarkovsky's compelling imagery and dramaturgy.

Tarkovsky Quartet reunites the group from Nostalghia, and wraps up Couturier's trilogy of Tarkovsky-inspired recordings on notes both strong and sublime. Couturier's penchant for elegant lyricism has been fundamental to his ECM recordings including 1998's duo session with violinist Dominique Pifar��ly, Poros, and, more recently, with oudist