Composer's Note When I considered the ensemble of eight cellos I first thought of matt and dark textures. I also wanted to go back to some ideas on symmetry. While I was pondering all that I saw snow flakes fallingfrom the dark sky of the Finnish autumn. Focusing on the snow the idea of writing variations on it and its various forms became clearer in my mind.Nuages de neige is a uniform and linear texture in which I realise my firstimpressions of that ensemble. The two Etoiles de neige are based on the idea of symmetry and repetition: the first one develops up to a certain point where it doubles back as in a mirror image the second one consists of eightsections in which the harmonic structure is repeated as well as a linear gesture that becomes ever more present. Aguilles de glace focuses on different pizzicati and superimposed ostinati. With Fleurs de neige I sought to recallthe texture of those harmonic trills at the end of the first section although more airy and diversified here. Kaija Saariaho

Version For Solo Cello and Tape-Cello Counterpoint is scored for eight Cellos and can be played by a soloist with the other parts pre-recorded (This tape is available from the Boosey & Hawkes rental library.) Alternatively the piece can be played by a Cello Octet. (There are differences in the distribution of parts between the two versions.) The piece is in three movements: fast slow fast. The first and last movements are both based on a similar four-chord cycle that moves ambiguously back and forth between C minor and E-flat major. This harmonic cycle is treated extremely freely particularly in the third movement. The second slow movement is a canon in E-flat minorinvolving near the end of the movement seven separate voices. The piece is a little more than 11 minutes in duration and was co-commissioned by the Koussevitzky Foundation in the Library of Congress the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and Leiden University for Cellist Maya Beiser.