Charles T. Griffes(1884-1920): a Catalogue of the Orchestral Music

[Dundonnell]

A short list obviously due to Griffes' death at a tragically young age

CHARLES  TOMLINSON GRIFFES: A CATALOGUE OF THE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

1905?:      Overture
1907:       Symphonic Phantasie
1912/16:Symphonic Poem "The Pleasure Dome of Kubla Khan", op.8: 12 minutes    + (several recordings)
1912/19:Bacchanale for orchestra: 4 minutes    + (Delos and Naxos cds)
1915:      Three Tone Pictures for orchestra: 8 minutes    +  (New World, Delos and Naxos cds)
1915/19:"The White Peacock"( from "Roman Sketches") for orchestra: 5 minutes  + ( Dorian, Delos, ASV and Naxos cds)
1916/19:"Clouds" (from Roman Sketches) for orchestra: 4 minutes      +  (ASV and Naxos cds)
1917?:      "A Trip to Syria"("Assyrian Dance") for chamber orchestra
1918:       Poem for Flute and Small Orchestra: 10 minutes  + (several recordings)
                 Notturno for orchestra
1919:       Nocturne for orchestra

[alberto]

The Pleasure-Dome of Kubla-Khan, The White Peacock, Three Tone Pictures, Bacchanale (plus the Poem for flute and Orchestra) are also on a Delos Cd (1990 release, G.Schwarz and Seattle S.O.).
The Delos Cd contains also a "Scherzo" for orchestra (arrangement from a piano piece op.6.3).

[alberto]

I apologize for a misinformation. I have checked my Delos DE 3099. "Bacchanale" is the orchestration of the " Scherzo" for piano, n.3 of Fantasy Pieces op.6.

[semloh]

Since, tragically, it is such a short list, maybe we can relax the rules (well, break them really! ) and just mention his music for a dance-drama entitled The Kairn of Koridwen - a Druid Legend (1916), which is scored for a small 'orchestra' of eight! 

It sounds to my ears like a pastiche of Stravinsky and Debussy, decorated with traces of Baxian other-wordliness. Griffes himself compared it to Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire and described it as "continuous symphonic music". The idiosyncratic combination of instruments (no strings!) lends itself to some creative writing and is always engaging, which is good because at nearly an hour (on my Koch CD) it's Griffes' longest work. 

[Dundonnell]

 

They ain't "rules"