When Rituals made its debut at the Bayreuth Opera Festival in 1998 it violently divided its audience, with half the crowd cheering in approval and the other half booing and heckling all the way to the exits, a vivid polarization one suspects to be precisely the reaction that John Zorn most desired. While listening to this handsome new studio recording of the piece, however, it's a little difficult to understand what exactly caused all the hubbub, as longtime Zorn aficionados are unlikely to even consider this to be one of his more confrontational or difficult works.
Conducted here by Brad Lubman, Rituals is billed as an operatic monodrama in five movements for mezzo-soprano and 10 instruments. As with other recent Zorn works like 2002's IAO and last year's Magick, the piece draws inspiration from the abstruse, mystical writings of Aleister Crowley, although Rituals includes no libretto as such. In practice, this lack of lyrics serves to enhance the music's captivating, luminous intrigue, and heighten its mysterious incantatory energies.
Short in length, Rituals is dense and focused, a model of understated restraint that contains none of Zorn's notorious interjections of thrash or noise. It's mezzo-soprano Heather Gardner who delivers what is the album's most immediately arresting performance. In what sounds to be an extremely physically demanding role, Gardner sails through the piece's wordless, meditative vocal cascades with power and grace. Throughout these five movements she provides just the right degree of opaque emotion, as Zorn cagily leaves it to the listener to decide if her impassioned calls are of agony, ecstasy, or some progression between the two.
Constructing a backdrop behind Gardner's vocals is a motley ensemble of woodwinds, strings and percussion, and the group's inquisitive, nimble footwork is frequently reminiscent of Zorn's hero Carl Stalling. This is particularly true in the case of multi-tasking percussionist Jim Pugliese, whose wide-ranging duties here almost make him resemble a foley artist for an old-time radio drama. Utilizing such esoteric instruments as wind machines, bull-roarers, fishing reels, "grave-digging," and bird calls-- for what mystical, alchemical purposes one can only speculate-- Pugliese provides Rituals with a considerable portion of its toothsome, perplexing drama.
Clocking in at just over 20 minutes yet carrying the price tag of a full-length CD, Rituals is not likely to find many fans among bargain hunters. Neither will it hold much appeal for stuffy opera traditionalists or those who aspire to their ranks. But for established Zorn enthusiasts, Rituals is replete with moments to confound, enrich and delight, and will surely lure you to its darkened altar for frequent repeat ceremonies.
