Introduction
In 1916, the American composer Charles Griffes (1884-1920)
wrote a dance-drama called The Kairn of Koridwen in which he, for
the first time, based his musical language almost entirely on a
non-diatonic arrangement of minor, major, and augmented seconds
known as a synthetic scale.1 Griffes conceived of the scale,
with its two augmented seconds each surrounded by semitones, both
as a programmatic counterpart to the exotic setting of the dance
scenario and as an abstract pitch structure largely determining
the range of harmonic possibilities in the work as a whole. These
programmatic and abstract conceptions of the scale corresponded to
preoccupations of Griffes' earlier years (the evocative use of
unusual scales in works such as the 1912 Pleasure Dome of Kubla
Khan) and his later years (the experimental use of synthetic
scales in the 1917-8 Sonata and the 1919 Three Preludes for
piano). Consequently, The Kairn of Koridwen can be seen as an
important work in the development of Griffes' compositional
language and one which has been too long neglected.
The reasons for the neglect of The Kairn of Koridwen lie in
its peculiar attributes and the checkered history of its musical
manuscript. The length of the work - around 50 minutes -
precludes performance by any but the most dedicated dance or
chamber groups, and the instrumentation - flute, two clarinets,
__________
1 A definition of this term and a listing of some types of
synthetic scales may be found in Robert Fink and Robert
Ricci, The Language of Twentieth Century Music: A
Dictionary of Terms (New York: Schirmer Books, 1975), p.
90.
Introduction Page 2
two horns, celesta, harp, and piano - falls well outside the
domain of any established ensemble. On top of these difficulties,
the complete score, half of which disappeared soon after the 1917
premiere, became available only as recently as 1965, when the
missing second scene was transcribed by the staff of the Free
Library of Philadelphia's Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music
from a complete set of parts held by the New York Public Library.2
As a result, the work has remained relatively obscure.3 Griffes based
his dance-drama on a folk legend drawn from the collection Les Grandes
Legendes de France compiled in 1892 by the French historian and prominent
Wagnerian Edouard Schure. This subject was suggested to Griffes by the
sisters Alice and Irene Lewisohn, Artistic Directors of New York City's Neighborhood
Playhouse, who commissioned Griffes to compose music which would reflect
every nuance and gesture of the dramatic action.4 Griffes worked
from a detailed scenario provided by the Lewisohns, which was
summarized in the February, 1917 Neighborhood Playhouse program as
follows:
It is night and the Druidesses of Sene are
assembling about the kairn or sanctuary, to perform
their rites to Koridwen, the Goddess of the Moon. They
build the sacred fire (their symbol of the mystic force
in life) and prepare in the cauldron a potion from the
herbs and berries of the woods. The ceremony,
accompanied by rhythmic movements, describes the circle
of the universe and unfolds to them the three planes of
existence. One by one they respond to the spell, and
interpret in esoteric language the principles of their
faith -- individuality and universality, liberty and
light.
__________
2 The Fleisher Collection makes the score available on a
rental basis (rental number 6939).
3 Only one documented performance of The Kairn took place
between 1917, the year of the premiere, and 1965.
Leonid Hambro conducted the first scene at a Griffes
memorial concert in New York in 1951.
4 4Edward M. Maisel, Charles T. Griffes: The Life of an
American Composer (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1943), p.
176.
Introduction Page 3
In the midst of these rites they are interrupted by
Mordred, a Gallic warrior, who has come from the
mainland to seek adventure and to demand a prophecy
which he knows can be revealed to him only by winning
the love of a Druidess.
Enraged at his daring sacrilege, the Sene rush upon
him and prepare to sacrifice him according to their
custom, but Awena, the high priestess, confers the
privilege of sacrifice upon Carmelis. Just as Carmelis
is prepared to strike with upraised sword, she sees for
the first time the eyes of her victim appealing to her
for mercy. The sword falls to the ground. Mordred
realizes that he has conquered. The Druidesses, filled
with horror at her defiance of her vows, hurl curses
upon their sister, rush wildly over the cliffs and sail
away.
According to their austere law, after three days of
grace, they will come back to demand in exchange for the
life of the warrior the life of her who has broken her
vow. Meanwhile Carmelis and Mordred forget themselves
in the happiness of their love, and it is only when
Mordred unconsciously gathers and offers to her the
berries of the sacred bella-donna that Carmelis is
reminded of the doom awaiting her.
Overcome by the futility of her efforts to conquer
her fate, Carmelis becomes the visionary and seer; she
foretells Mordred's future, first his victory, then his
bondage, and reveals to him the secrets of the Druid
faith -- the three planes of existence begining with
darkness and ending in universal light. Then handing
him her torch, the symbol of her soul, which will
forever lead him onward, she sends him forth to his
destiny.
The legend tells us that the boat disappears and
that as she sees its light dimly in the darkness, her
voice is carried far across the sea in soft and savage
intensity: "I was yours in life; in death, I will
possess and never leave you. You shall feel me in the
moonlight. I shall be with you in the shadows."
For her, there remains the sacred bella-donna.
Will she not find in death a greater promise of life?
When the Sene return, they find Carmelis lying
beside the sanctuary, the empty horn by her side. They
solemnly encircle her, repeating to themselves the
austere law of their faith: "What is to be, will be."5
__________
5 Quoted from a copy of the original program provided to
the author by Donna K. Anderson, musicologist and
Griffes specialist. This synopsis was also printed as
the first appendix to the text cited in footnote 4,
Edward Maisel's 1943 biography of Griffes.
Introduction Page 4
This analytical study of The Kairn of Koridwen will have the
following specific objectives:
1. to provide a general introduction to Griffes' use of
synthetic scales;
2. to analyze The Kairn of Koridwen from the point of view of
synthetic scale technique;
3. to examine the correspondence between music and drama to see
what they suggest concerning the meaning of synthetic scales
in Griffes' musical language;
4. to make some general statements about Griffes' stylistic
development by using The Kairn as a focus and point of
comparison for a discussion of other works using synthetic
scales.