Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I composed this piece in 2022, soon after rereading the "poisonous French novel" that inspired Oscar Wilde to write "The Picture of Dorian Gray" in 1890. The novel in question is Joris-Karl Huysmans' "À rebours" from 1884. It explores the life of a single character, Jean des Esseintes, an aesthete who is repelled by bourgeois society and whose sole aim to explore, hone, and escape into his own artistic tastes. To this end, most of the book is concerned with relating the refined aesthetic experiences of Des Esseintes; in areas of music, painting, religion, literature, and more.
Huysmans wrote that he wanted to portray a man "soaring upwards into dream, seeking refuge in illusions of extravagant fantasy, living alone, far from his century...each chapter became the sublimate of a specialism, the refinement of a different art."
It is an eccentric and fascinating book.
My piano composition attempts to convey the heady yet delicate atmosphere of decadence in which the novel is suffused, focusing particularly on the library of Des Esseintes, containing books by the likes of Petronius, Schopenhauer, Baudelaire, Verlaine, Corbière, and others.
When the novel was published in 1884 many readers were scandalised; others — especially young literary types — adored it. Paul Valéry called it his "Bible and his bedside book"; Whistler visited Huysmans the day after publication and congratulated him on his "marvellous" novel. Emile Zola, Huysmans' former mentor, was less enthusiastic, saying that it was a "terrible blow to Naturalism". Writer and critic Léon Bloy was an avid supporter, holding up "À rebours" as a shining counter-example to Zola's "crapulous" brand of Naturalism.
Huysmans early work had been squarely in the Naturalist camp — realistic depictions of the unpleasant state of life for working-class folks in Paris at the time. But, by the 1880s, Huysmans felt that Naturalism was "harping on the same old themes" and "treading water". In 1882, Huysmans confessed to Zola — Naturalism's de facto leader — that he had embarked upon a "wild and gloomy fantasy". With "À rebours" Huysmans broke utterly with the school of Naturalism, and aligned himself rather with the aesthetic concerns of the Symbolists and proponents of "decadence" in literature.
The refined character of Des Esseintes, inhabiting his rarefied world, was modelled partly on Huysmans himself; the two share many of the same tastes in literature, music, etc. Other influences on Huysmans' depiction of Des Esseintes include Ludwig II of Bavaria, Barbey d'Aurevilly, Edmond de Goncourt, and, perhaps most of all, Montesquiou. Stéphane Mallarmé had recently been admitted to Montesquiou's home, and he informed Huysmans in great detail of its extravagant and fantastical interior, many facets of which found their way into the house of Des Esseintes.
I encourage you to seek out a copy of "À rebours" if you haven't yet sampled its unique savour. Perhaps you will hear in my composition a subtle poison attempting to seep into a realm of diaphanous purity. Whether the poison takes hold or not is a question for the listener.
Get the sheet music: greg-harradine-shop.fourthwall.com/en-gbp/products/the-library-of-des-esseintes
NB. Perceptive viewers might notice a few tiny discrepancies between the sheet music displayed and the notes I'm playing. All I can say is: guilty, your honour. I recorded this piece from memory, and I tend to adjust my pieces minutely as I perform them, so it is almost inevitable that certain rhythms or voicings would not concur 100% with my notated version. Please be assured that these differences are of a microscopic order, and should you obtain the sheet music, you will find it chimes mightily with this performance in all but a few of the least fundamental details.
Playlist of my piano music: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlwlnYNHQ66yHgWnnKvIZKhfvm73DX5Zd
➤ Support me and gain rewards on Patreon: patreon.com/gregharradine
(Rewards include sheet music, recordings, exclusive videos, chances to vote on aspects of my future compositions, and more.)
➤ Join my mailing list: bit.ly/2wo05UQ
➤ Stream music: https://ffm.bio/gregharradine
➤ Purchase on Bandcamp: gregharradine.bandcamp.com
➤ Website: gregharradine.co.uk
Socials:
➤ Facebook: facebook.com/GregHarradineComposer
➤ Twitter: twitter.com/GregHarradine
➤ Instagram: instagram.com/gregharradinecomposer
#piano #pianomusic #classicalmusic
I composed this piece in 2022, soon after rereading the "poisonous French novel" that inspired Oscar Wilde to write "The Picture of Dorian Gray" in 1890. The novel in question is Joris-Karl Huysmans' "À rebours" from 1884. It explores the life of a single character, Jean des Esseintes, an aesthete who is repelled by bourgeois society and whose sole aim to explore, hone, and escape into his own artistic tastes. To this end, most of the book is concerned with relating the refined aesthetic experiences of Des Esseintes; in areas of music, painting, religion, literature, and more.
Huysmans wrote that he wanted to portray a man "soaring upwards into dream, seeking refuge in illusions of extravagant fantasy, living alone, far from his century...each chapter became the sublimate of a specialism, the refinement of a different art."
It is an eccentric and fascinating book.
My piano composition attempts to convey the heady yet delicate atmosphere of decadence in which the novel is suffused, focusing particularly on the library of Des Esseintes, containing books by the likes of Petronius, Schopenhauer, Baudelaire, Verlaine, Corbière, and others.
When the novel was published in 1884 many readers were scandalised; others — especially young literary types — adored it. Paul Valéry called it his "Bible and his bedside book"; Whistler visited Huysmans the day after publication and congratulated him on his "marvellous" novel. Emile Zola, Huysmans' former mentor, was less enthusiastic, saying that it was a "terrible blow to Naturalism". Writer and critic Léon Bloy was an avid supporter, holding up "À rebours" as a shining counter-example to Zola's "crapulous" brand of Naturalism.
Huysmans early work had been squarely in the Naturalist camp — realistic depictions of the unpleasant state of life for working-class folks in Paris at the time. But, by the 1880s, Huysmans felt that Naturalism was "harping on the same old themes" and "treading water". In 1882, Huysmans confessed to Zola — Naturalism's de facto leader — that he had embarked upon a "wild and gloomy fantasy". With "À rebours" Huysmans broke utterly with the school of Naturalism, and aligned himself rather with the aesthetic concerns of the Symbolists and proponents of "decadence" in literature.
The refined character of Des Esseintes, inhabiting his rarefied world, was modelled partly on Huysmans himself; the two share many of the same tastes in literature, music, etc. Other influences on Huysmans' depiction of Des Esseintes include Ludwig II of Bavaria, Barbey d'Aurevilly, Edmond de Goncourt, and, perhaps most of all, Montesquiou. Stéphane Mallarmé had recently been admitted to Montesquiou's home, and he informed Huysmans in great detail of its extravagant and fantastical interior, many facets of which found their way into the house of Des Esseintes.
I encourage you to seek out a copy of "À rebours" if you haven't yet sampled its unique savour. Perhaps you will hear in my composition a subtle poison attempting to seep into a realm of diaphanous purity. Whether the poison takes hold or not is a question for the listener.
Get the sheet music: greg-harradine-shop.fourthwall.com/en-gbp/products/the-library-of-des-esseintes
NB. Perceptive viewers might notice a few tiny discrepancies between the sheet music displayed and the notes I'm playing. All I can say is: guilty, your honour. I recorded this piece from memory, and I tend to adjust my pieces minutely as I perform them, so it is almost inevitable that certain rhythms or voicings would not concur 100% with my notated version. Please be assured that these differences are of a microscopic order, and should you obtain the sheet music, you will find it chimes mightily with this performance in all but a few of the least fundamental details.
Playlist of my piano music: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlwlnYNHQ66yHgWnnKvIZKhfvm73DX5Zd
➤ Support me and gain rewards on Patreon: patreon.com/gregharradine
(Rewards include sheet music, recordings, exclusive videos, chances to vote on aspects of my future compositions, and more.)
➤ Join my mailing list: bit.ly/2wo05UQ
➤ Stream music: https://ffm.bio/gregharradine
➤ Purchase on Bandcamp: gregharradine.bandcamp.com
➤ Website: gregharradine.co.uk
Socials:
➤ Facebook: facebook.com/GregHarradineComposer
➤ Twitter: twitter.com/GregHarradine
➤ Instagram: instagram.com/gregharradinecomposer
#piano #pianomusic #classicalmusic
