Stratifications was composed by Hans Abrahamsen in 1973-75 and was premiered in the summer 1977 by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at the Young Nordic Music Festival in Reykjavik. Programme note: The stratifications referred to in the title unfold two different levels. There is the stratification of the time dimension produced by the opposition of contrasting parts; at the same time the polyphony the presence of several simultaneously sounding layers is of great importance to the music. By garish colours and clear-cut outlines a polyrhythmic simultaneousness of simple melodies is produced with more gestic music and othermaterial which give a peculiar set piece-like effect in the sound picture. The new simplicity details are here woven together in a new kind of complex whole. Stratifications begins with a series of concretistic masklike pictures of the music . It is like seeing lantern slides. But this fictive form crackles and the music gets attentive and real. The music is in a night-mare condition where it is not getting anywhere in spite of a great dynamic display. But finally is liberating itself and rising in triumph .
