The King of the Mask
The King of the Mask: Roman Valdes
Experience the grand illusion of “The King of the Mask.”
“The King of the Mask” is the lifelong reflection of the celebrated Cuban artist Roman Valdes. As a boy, tormented by the realization of death, he crowned himself as “The King of the Mask,” which immortalized him in an eternal existence within a world in which fantasy and reality become indistinguishable.
Once composer Paul Joseph entered into the mysterious world of the King, he was inspired to bring out the images, colors, moods and feelings of the Kingdom through a fifty-minute musical fantasy. This collaboration of visual art and music then evolved to incorporate a third discipline: dance, and was performed by both Ballet Long Island and Dance Visions NY.
What was first performed on piano has been orchestrated for symphony. The world premier took place on September 27th, 2015 in New York - see the review, and hear the audio. Video coming soon. You too will be able to go on a musical journey through the fantasy world of the King and experience the grand illusion of “The King of the Mask.”
“The King of the Mask” is the lifelong reflection of the celebrated Cuban artist Roman Valdes. As a boy, tormented by the realization of death, he crowned himself as “The King of the Mask,” which immortalized him in an eternal existence within a world in which fantasy and reality become indistinguishable.
Once composer Paul Joseph entered into the mysterious world of the King, he was inspired to bring out the images, colors, moods and feelings of the Kingdom through a fifty-minute musical fantasy. This collaboration of visual art and music then evolved to incorporate a third discipline: dance, and was performed by both Ballet Long Island and Dance Visions NY.
What was first performed on piano has been orchestrated for symphony. The world premier took place on September 27th, 2015 in New York - see the review, and hear the audio. Video coming soon. You too will be able to go on a musical journey through the fantasy world of the King and experience the grand illusion of “The King of the Mask.”
The Bullfighter: Roman Valdes
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The Aristocrat: Roman Valdes
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The Clown: Roman Valdes
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Libretto: |
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Morning - Out of eternity springs this pastoral setting. All is calm, and what little activity there is acts in perfect harmony with its surroundings. As we journey through this tranquility of nature, we end up upon a boy, seated in the solitude of his surroundings.
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Transformation - The boy is in a deep state of contemplation. His sensitivity makes him vulnerable to the multiplicity of his feelings, and he is confronted by his deepest fears. As he synthesizes and finally transcends his various emotions, he learns to conquer death by transforming himself into “The King.” Once this inner journey has taken place, he can resolve into contentedness.
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Coronation - Now that he’s “The King,” a coronation ceremony is most fitting and proper. For this grand event, he must summon his entire kingdom.
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Running - After the ceremony has ended, his mind takes off in a frantic race. The entire kingdom is thrown into a frenzy as the desperate search takes place. No one is quite sure of what it is they are looking for, including the King. When he finally settles down, he realizes the reason for this quest.
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Crystal Lake - The King comes upon a beautiful huge lake with the clearest water he has ever seen. In the middle of this lake stands a grand crystal palace, inhabited only by his mother and her reflection.
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The Ambassador - The King’s ambassador and her army of nude women are marching to lands abroad to bring their message of, not just peace, but also beauty and art.
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The Serpent - Deep in the heart of the kingdom we sense the ominous foreboding of the serpent. From out of the soil we feel the serpent’s emergence and growth, and finally its sensitivity. In this Kingdom the serpent is not a symbol of evil (or wrongdoing), but rather a symbol of truth.
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The Storm - The Kingdom is afflicted by a terrible storm as a result of a volatile outburst by the King. His turbulent state is an expression of the strength of his many emotions, arising simultaneously and relentlessly.
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Tolling of the Bells - In the wake if the storm, the bells are heard throughout the Kingdom. A calm tension fills the air.
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The Garden - The King is bathing in his paradise, a beautiful open-air garden in his backyard which extends throughout the entire Kingdom. His only company is himself, as the boy and King join together in a dance of eternity.
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Procession - The entire Kingdom takes part in a grand procession and ceremony for, if no other reason, to celebrate the world of the King.
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Scherzo - The King makes a joke of himself, his Kingdom and life itself to obtain some comic relief from the intensity of his world. But just as he seeks this relief in the joke, he also needs some relief from the joke and in the midst of it all can’t help but drift back into the deepest of contemplations.
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Longing I - Even in the most contented state within his own Kingdom, there is still a longing for something more.
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Triumph - Through his inner feelings and sensitivity, and not through a hard outer shell, is he able to be triumphant.
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Raindrops / Crystal Lake reprise - The raindrops gently fall as the sensitive sky is shedding tears, not as an expression of sorrow but rather an expression of beauty. The rain fills the Crystal Lake and once again we feel life emerging from this wondrous place.
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Mysterious Forest - The King journeys deep into the dark and stormy forest until he comes upon a magical clearing, where tranquility and solitude abound, and he can be left alone to relax. After his stay is complete, he exits through the dark stormy forest through which he came.
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Longing II - His longing for something more continues. This time he gets deeper into this feeling and finally, the conflict is resolved as he finds what he was looking for.
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Triumph reprise - As his inner triumph returns, he feels a sense of tranquility.
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Chase of Destiny - The King feels himself coming closer to destiny so he enters into a chase with it. But it is not clear whether he’s chasing destiny, destiny’s chasing him or both are occurring simultaneously. Ultimately they reach the zenith where all is fused into one.
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Little Waltz - The King enjoys this little afterthought as he is again seated in the solitude of his surroundings. The Kingdom returns to the eternity from which it came.
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Ballet at TILLES CENTER: watch "King of the Mask" excerpts!
