Among the leading younger figures of the 1980s, Hans Abrahamsen largely ceased original composition until the arrival almost a decade ago of his Piano Concerto, and now comes his largest project yet. Schnee (2008) grew out of his transcribing of Bach canons: the result is a sequence of original pieces unfolding in five complementary pairs that mirror each other in their counterpoint and texture, with the qualities of one half being reflected – often distorted – in the other. The five pairs follow a broadly consistent trajectory whereby their increasing brevity is offset by a greater expressive tautness, uniformity being prevented by the interspersing of three “intermezzo” pieces whose static manner throws into relief the subtly eddying motion of the canons which, in their purposefully limited tonal colour, create an absorbing sound world Abrahamsen refers to in terms of a “white polyphony” redolent of snow itself.

A sound world to which Ensemble Recherche is evidently attuned and which is vividly conveyed by this recording, in which the antiphonal placing of the ensemble (violin, viola and cello to the left with flute, oboe and clarinet to the right, each of these trios featuring a piano to the rear and separated by a central percussionist) is afforded almost tangible presence. The scene is set by a pertinent note from the composer, keen to avoid the impression that the rarefied nature of his music makes it wantonly cerebral – something with which those who give this disc the benefit of any doubt will surely agree.