Schnittke 6

One thing I have realised from listening and blogging is that Schnittke's symphonies are getting shorter - well numbers one to seven are progressively shorter in length. Is this because Schnittke was finding to harder to engage with symphonic form? Is it because of the illness which affected him for years? His move to the west? Whatever the sixth is a disturbing, but effective piece of music; another stage in the death of the post-soviet symphony.