59th INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION OF LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA
In April-November 2022, THE PRIMAVERA PROJECT joins the world premiere exhibition of von Heyl’s iconic Primavera 2020 painting in the 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia curated by Cecilia Alemani, displaying a special playlist PRIMAVERA A VENEZIA in collaboration with von Heyl’s painting, accessible by QR code and featuring curated musical compositions for this historic exhibition.
THE PRIMAVERA PROJECT — a series of 81 commissions inspired by Sandro Botticelli’s iconic Primavera and Charline von Heyl’s prophetic Primavera 2020. The PRIMAVERA A VENEZIA playlist features works by Missy Mazzoli, Tomeka Reid, Nico Muhly, and others from THE PRIMAVERA PROJECT‘s first two albums, PRIMAVERA I the wind and PRIMAVERA II the rabbits for La Biennale di Venezia, including two new singles by Josquin des Prez and Philip Glass. These singles preview THE PRIMAVERA PROJECT’s third release — PRIMAVERA III the vessel — coming June 2022.
#primaveraplaylist
About the two singles:
PHILIP GLASS Samsara
Legendary composer Philip Glass composed “Samsara” for multi GRAMMY®-nominated cellist Matt Haimovitz. The work is one of 81 solo cello pieces from THE PRIMAVERA PROJECT, a momentous commissioning project inviting composers to respond to two paintings, Botticelli’s iconic Primavera and Charline von Heyl’s prophetic Primavera 2020. In this world premiere recording, Haimovitz’s haunting rendition of Glass’ “Samsara” begins with the simplest of musical elements, winding its way as the cello metamorphoses into a tambura, the instrumental drone of raga. As with nature’s seasons, “Samsara” reflects the cycles of death and rebirth.
JOSQUIN DES PREZ Praeter Rerum Seriem (arranged by Matt Haimovitz for 6 celli)
Arranged for cello choir by multi GRAMMY®-nominated cellist Matt Haimovitz, Josquin des Prez’s magnificent “Praeter Rerum Seriem” offers 500 years of perspective on the newly commissioned works from THE PRIMAVERA PROJECT – a momentous series of 81 musical commissions responding to two paintings, Botticelli’s iconic Primavera and Charline von Heyl’s prophetic Primavera 2020. Stripped of the Latin text, the Josquin’s repeating motives and ubiquitous canons are illuminated by the six celli (all recorded by Haimovitz at von Heyl’s artist studio in Marfa, Texas) in this contrapuntal tour-de-force.
Complete PRIMAVERA A VENEZIA track list:
Josquin des Prez — Praeter Rerum Seriem
Missy Mazzoli — Beyond the Order of Things (after Josquin)
Philip Glass — Samsara
Juri Seo — Two Rhapsodies of Spring
Niloufar Nourbakhsh — Cyclical Rabbits
inti figgis-vizueta — the motion between three worlds
Tomeka Reid — Volplaning
Nico Muhly — Spring Figures
Nia Imani Franklin — Afro-dite
Nkeiru Okoye — Euba’s Dance
Luna Pearl Woolf — Diaphanous Graces
Gordon Getty — Spring Song