The King in Yellow (2019)

Instrumentation: Oboe, Contrabassoon, & Piano

Difficulty: Medium Advanced

Duration: 6’

Currently unavailable for purchase

Commissioned by Jared Aragòn, Dr. Tracy Carr, and Susan Nigro

“…for I cannot forget Carcosa where black stars hang in the heavens; where the shadows of men’s thoughts lengthen in the afternoon, when the twin suns sink into the lake of Hali; and my mind will bear forever the memory of the Pallid Mask. I pray God will curse the writer, as the writer has cursed the world with this beautiful, stupendous creation, terrible in its simplicity, irresistible in its truth - a world which now trembles before the King in Yellow.”

-Robert W. Chambers,

The Repairer of Reputations

The King in Yellow is based on a short story collection by Robert W. Chambers, a precursor to the work of H.P. Lovecraft. I was drawn to the hallucinatory and horrifying nature of the first four stories’ connective tissue; a forbidden play which drives the reader to madness and a spectral figure always alluded to but never seen: the King in Yellow.

When I was approached by my former teacher, Jared Aragòn to compose a piece for this trio I was at a loss. I had no idea how to weave the contrabassoon into the work. Soon after the commission was settled on, I happened upon a painting by my favorite artist, Zdzisław Beksinski. The title it was given (Beksinski left all of his works untitled) was of course “The King in Yellow.” I suddenly had to know more. My research led me to Chambers’ book, and I devoured the first four stories. I knew that this was the perfect basis for the piece, and set to work immediately.

Melody was not as important to me in composing the work as atmosphere. I wanted to create a foggy, dreamlike (sometimes nightmarish) landscape depicting the mysterious city of Carcosa. The recurrent quintal harmonies represent the King himself seated upon a dark throne, sinister and regal altogether.

Audio coming soon!