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Entry Q - "Deaf Pillows" by @Irene Huang (for Violin and Piano) “Deaf Pillows” is a single-movement work for piano and violin composed in the summer of 2023. It is inspired by the powerful theme of guilt in William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. In particular, this piece references Act V Scene 1, where Lady Macbeth is revealed to have slowly descended into madness since taking part in the murder of the former King. She sleepwalks nightly and is haunted by the invisible blood that cannot be washed off her hands. Upon seeing this, her doctor proclaims: “Infected minds / To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets” - hence the title of this work. “Deaf Pillows” begins by setting a dreamy, mystical atmosphere to imitate a person’s temporary state of mind as they balance on the brink of sleep. It eventually slips into a dark, uneasy state of unconsciousness to foreshadow the tumult that is to come. The second half of the piece contrasts greatly with the first, as the music gradually builds in volume and intensity. The ending climax represents suicide, in particular that of Lady Macbeth, when she surrenders herself to death as self-retribution for her past sins. Throughout the work, the interval of a tritone plays a prevalent role to indicate the fearful apprehensiveness of regret. In the last few measures of the piece, the incessant tritone finally disappears to mark Lady Macbeth’s fateful end. In conclusion, “Deaf Pillows” is a work intended to highlight the disconcerting side of dreams and how remorse will always torment a person, whether it be in the wakefulness of daytime or the troubled oblivion of night.