"Brilliant and masterful, it is clear that Titus Engel knows, understands and can convey Hans Abrahamsen’s musical language," wrote the neue musikzeitung after the premiere, while the FAZ enthused: "The way Titus Engel and the Dresdner Staatskapelle brought this to life – carefully and protectively, listening to the preciousness of every vibration – made this music, which is both self-contained and at the same time enters into us, fundamentally tangible."
Hans Abrahamsen explored a musical language of snow for his work, which premiered in 2019 and is now coming to the Semperoper stage after highly successful productions at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen and the Bavarian State Opera.
"Snow is a movement in nature that is completely silent. Snow represents the time of sleep between autumn and spring. In spring, things are recreated and reborn. Like in the fairy tale, where the characters are reborn as children," says the composer, who wrote the libretto together with Henrik Engelbrecht; the English version is by Amanda Holden. Hans Christian Andersen's underlying fairy tale appears in a whole new light in Abrahamsen's interpretation and promises an impressive experience that, contrary to what the fairy tale material might suggest, is not aimed at children.
Titus Engel, who was awarded the Swiss Music Prize in 2025 for his artistic work and who will be Conductor in Residence at the Deutsche Oper Berlin from the 2026/27 season, makes his debut with Hans Abrahamsen's work at the podium of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, conducting a total of six performances until January 8.
Semperoper
