This piece was written for the cellist Anna Taddeo during the 2020 spring lockdown. One night I had a dream about Le Cattive Madri, a painting by the Italian artist Giovanni Segantini. It was a very vivid dream, the kind of dream where you can almost touch the surrounding. When I woke up I had a clear melody in my mind and I knew that it was time to start writing.

The entire piece is about the tormented relationship of a mother with her infant child: from the first movement where she just looks at him, to the second where the infant crawls to reach the mother, to the third in which she sings a melody for the child, to the fourth where she understands her mistakes and repent and to the fifth where she reflects on their relationship and finally says goodbye to her loved child.

I. Sguardi; Adagio riflessivo, rubato e cantabile
II. Avvicinamenti; Allegretto pizzicato
III. Abbracci; Fuga; Moderato cantabile
IV. Redenzioni; Moderato cantabile – Presto agitato – Allegro – Presto agitatissimo
V. Addii; Riflessivo – Molto intenso – Adagio lamentoso, rubato