Six Graces was written for Matt Haimovitz, with his unique musicality and wide range of genres in mind. This piece was created as an interpretation and exploration of Sandro Botticelli’s iconic Primavera as well as Charline von Heyl’s modern-day re-imagination of it. In studying Botticelli’s painting, my attention was drawn to the three dancing Graces, as well as the darker, more obscure characters which mirror them in von Heyl’s painting. I sought to portray the interaction of the characters in both paintings by creating dense, ethereal textures. This is achieved through extended techniques such as plucking the string with the left hand, playing with a scratchy bow tone, and notes that waver in their tuning.

– Asher Sizemore

Asher Sizemore, cello

Audio and video by Nick Reeves • Thumbnail photo by Lorielle Sinclair