Program notes provided by Ensemble Sospeso describe "Atmosphères" as the "first major alternative to European serialism: static masses of orchestral sound that give the simultaneous sense of immobility and motion." On the other hand, a close investigation of Ligeti's relationship to the Darmstadt avant-garde concludes that "Atmosphères" should "be seen as part of an evolution within the serial tradition and a response to problems articulated within it, rather than as a break from that tradition altogether". The sound masses in "Atmosphères" are seen particularly to conform to the serial precepts of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s "statistical form", as exemplified in "Gesang der Jünglinge" (1955–56) and "Gruppen" (1955–57).