''Ritual'' is an album of contemporary classical music written by

Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd (jazz musician), Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also be ...

and performed by

Dennis Russell Davies Dennis Russell Davies (born April 16, 1944, in Toledo, Ohio) is an American conductor and pianist. He is chief conductor of the Brno Philharmonic and of the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra. Biography Davies studied piano and conducting at ...

on solo piano in June 1977 and released on

ECM ECM may refer to the following: Economics and commerce * Engineering change management * Equity capital markets * Error correction model, an econometric model * European Common Market Mathematics * Lenstra's Elliptic curve method for factor ...

in February 1982.Keith Jarrett discograph
Ritual
accessed May 2020

Original notes

In the original notes for the CD release, pianist

wrote about his relationship with Jarrett, his music, and how this project came about:

I first worked with Keith Jarrett while conducting a program of new music with The Ensemble at New York’s Lincoln Center in 1974. On this occasion, Keith played the solo part in Carla Bley’s "3/4". Aside from his enormous improvisatory skills, I was most impressed by his love for and playing of the concert grand piano, and what I sensed was a growing impatience with the electronic sound sources that seemed poised to take over not only jazz, but so-called "serious" new music as well. I felt that a collaboration between Keith and my orchestra at that time, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, would be an ideal way to explore the potential of combining Keith’s instrumental approach with that of a traditional chamber orchestra, particularly one with proven abilities in the music of our time. During one of several intense rehearsal periods together, Keith—who had heard my own piano playing—mentioned a new work, "Ritual", that he wanted me to perform. As I worked with the piece, I received enormous satisfaction from the opportunity to express, through Keith’s music, my admiration for his artistry. And although I could never, in improvisation, begin to assume his qualities as a creative force, "Ritual" is a vehicle through which I can bring his spirit to the listener. Those who know Keith will hear him in this music—it couldn’t have been written by anyone else.

Reception

The

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

review by Richard S. Ginell noted, "''Ritual'' has several of the characteristics of Jarrett's solo improvisations—the repetitive vamps and ostinatos, wistful lyricism, ruminative episodes developing organically out of what preceded them—but without the jazzy/bluesy feeling that runs through the solo concerts. Also, the piece begins in a mournful way unusual for the usually optimistic Jarrett. In any case, it is a thoughtful, absorbing composition, thoroughly tonal harmonically, played with assured technique and appropriate use of classical expressive devices by Davies. Classical listeners as well as Jarrett devotees will find much to savor here."Ginell, R. S
AllMusic Review
accessed August 15, 2011

Track listing

Personnel

–

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

Technical Personnel

* Martin Wieland - recording engineer * Signe Mähler - cover Photo * Madeline Winkler-Betzendahl - liner photo * Barbara Worjirsch - design * Manfred Eicher - production

References

{{Authority control ECM Records albums Keith Jarrett albums Albums produced by Manfred Eicher 1977 albums