Griffes - The Pleasure-Dome of Kubla-Khan (1915)

The Pleasure-Dome of Kubla-Khan (1915)

A work for solo piano by American composer Charles Tomlinson Griffes (1884-1920). In his short life, Griffes evolved from a Wagnerite and protégé of Engelbert Humperdinck into a composer of remarkably distinctive, atmospheric, somewhat jazz-influenced piano music. "The Pleasure-Dome of Kubla-Khan" is, of course, based on the famous poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge "Kubla Khan." Ferruccio Busoni suggested to Griffes that he orchestrate this work as a symphonic poem, and in this form "The Pleasure-Dome of Kubla-Khan" brought Griffes considerable success and recognition.

Pianist: Michael Lewin

Kubla Khan (by Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round:
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced:
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail:
And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean:
And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!
The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!

A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw:
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight 'twould win me,
That with music loud and long,
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome! those caves of ice!
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Charles
• Tomlinson
• Griffes
• The
• Pleasure-Dome
• of
• Kubla
• Khan
• pleasure dome of kubla khan
• kubla khan
• pleasure dome
• river alph
• sacred river
• samual taylor coleridge
• coleridge kubla khan
• charles tomlinson griffes
• griffes kubla khan
• tone
• poem
• solo
• piano
• symphonic
• twentieth
• century
• American
• new
• york
• composer
• rare
• romantic
• classical
• music

[SinnZilla]

What painting is this?

[musicanth]

@SinnZilla The painting is 'The Source of the Sacred River' by Albert Goodwin.

[gandy74]

I came here specifically looking for the piano version of this magnificent piece only to discover you posted it 3 hours ago. Total kismet...thanks for sharing!