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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Spring Figures

by Nico Muhly

Instrumentation
Cello
Composed
2021
Duration
5'
Publisher
St. Rose Music Publishing (Chester Music / Hal Leonard)
More by this composer

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About this piece

A five-minute solo written for Matt Haimovitz as part of his Primavera Project, in which composers respond to Charline von Heyl's reimagining of Botticelli's Primavera. Muhly's note calls it 'a short reaction' that 'takes its cue from the menace of the vertical lines of the background of the painting', rendered as sustained high notes, after which the piece becomes 'a series of ascending and descending and crabwise figures, establishing a sense of kinetic unrest'. Commissioned by Primaveranzia, LLC and dedicated to Haimovitz; the eight-page score is sold by Hal Leonard and as a digital download.

Technical overview

Sustained high-register notes followed by rapid ascending, descending and crabwise figuration, per the composer's note.

Technical focus

  • Thumb Position

Level rubric

Advanced

Left Hand

  • Unrestricted fingerboard operation.
  • Effortless high‑register passages with thumb position.
  • Execute large leaps, rapid shifts & fast runs with precise intonation.
  • Render double stops with clarity and even vibrato.
  • Crisp, stylistically appropriate ornamentation (trills, turns, mordents).
  • Instinctive micro‑adjustments in intonation for expressiveness.
  • False harmonics in low positions

Right Hand

  • Complete command of all bow strokes at any tempo/dynamic.
  • Comfortable execution of virtuoso passages (sautillé, intricate ricochet).
  • Tone projection from whisper‑quiet to fortissimo.
  • Integrate advanced bow patterns with expressive phrasing.
  • Demonstrate technical precision with a broad dynamic range.

Rhythm & Musicality

  • Interpret large‑scale structures with nuanced pacing and rhythmic freedom.
  • Highly refined phrasing with subtle note grouping & expressive rubato.
  • Convey emotional depth and stylistic authenticity.
  • Incorporate personal interpretive choices while meeting stylistic demands.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.

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