Hans Abrahamsen's Schnee (2008) is a gorgeous marvel which encapsulates winter. The instrumental cycle, already a classic of the twenty-first century, comprises a set of ten canons making up an hour of ghostly, feathery music. There is no hurrying, but great depth. As Abrahamsen himself says: 'In Schnee, a single moment is stretched as far as possible. At some point, the music disappears. There is just a breath of air left'.

The Grawemeyer Award and Léonie Sonning Music Prize winning composer Hans Abrahamsen (b.1952) composed in the New Simplicity style in the 1970s. After a pause in composition, he managed to combine the very complex with the very simple, leading to his international breakthrough.

Schnee is a central work in Abrahamsen's production. It acquired nearly cult status and is influenced both a meeting with Terry Riley and a deep occupation with Bach's canons.

Schnee (Snow) reminds you of walking against the wind in swirling snow without being able to find the way. The highly poetic music moves not only forwards, but backwards and in circles, and sometimes remains completely still.

The work is structured in five pairs of mirroring canons, interrupted three times by pulseless interludes.

"Hans’s musical world is very rich with nuances, colours and fantasy, and in it, one comes into a very special universe. He certainly has a very personal musical voice", says conductor John Storgårds.

This is Dacapo Records’ first release in Dolby Atmos.