This piece was inspired by ?The Snow Queen', one of Hans Christian Andersen's tales describing an evil mirror which distorts real life, rendering it ugly and negative.
The story is illustrated by many symmetrical effects influencing various elements of the work. The opening modal and polytonal idiom is intended to evoke a magical realm, while the second part inhabits a completely chromatic world. After this change comes the third and final part: an absolutely precise recapitulation of the first, except that all silences have disappeared. This simple technique radically transforms the nature of the musical material.
This piece draws inspiration from the mirror's reflection, employing modes, thematic motifs and harmony displaying symmetrical aspects. It also uses all the traditional contrapuntal procedures, and includes a palindrome effect in the middle of the work.
The sounds converse with each other, as it were, suggesting imaginary reflections which aim to achieve transparency, simplicity and a hint of the dream-world.