The East in the Works of Charles Griffes

Abstract

The article is devoted to the oriental compositions of the American composer Charles Griffes (1884–1920), created in the 1910s. These include the symphonic poem “The Pleasure-Dome of Kubla Khan” (1912–1917), the vocal cycle “Five Poems of Ancient China and Japan” for voice and piano (1916–1917), and the Japanese pantomime “Sho-Jo” (1917). Significant creative contacts (Eva Gauthier, A. Coomaraswamy, E. Bloch, A. Bolm, M. Ito), extensive reading, fascination with folklore, poetry, painting, and philosophy of Asian countries led to the formation of his own method of working with oriental materials. The composer saw prospects for the interaction of Western and Eastern music in his address to the archaic, to the stylization of ancient folklore. An example is the music for the pantomime “Sho-Jo” and the cycle “Five Poems of Ancient China and Japan.” Natural modes (pentatonic modes), organ points, ascetic quarto-quinto-second verticals, spatial sound, and rhythmic ostinato allow us to draw parallels with new folkloristics, in particular, with the works of I. F. Stravinsky. In the symphonic poem “The Pleasure-Dome of Kubla Khan,” the European influences at the forefront are associated with the study of the “Russian” East (first of all the writings of N. Rimsky-Korsakov) and the French oriental pieces by C. Debussy and M. Ravel. Colorful in mood and harmony, a multi-layered texture, and spicy timbers testify to the features of impressionism. The technique of orchestral writing enables us to find similarities with Ravel’s “Sheherazade” Overture. Also, the works of Griffes brightly revealed features of the Art Nouveau style: the image of dance, the increased interest in the element of water, ornamental melodies-arabesques, and the independence of timber layers.