Keith Jarrett
Sacred Hymns of G.I. Gurdjieff
ECM Records (Germany) 1980
ECM 1174 (LP) Original pressing.
sleeve : NM
media : EX+/EX+(some slight surface noise)
This masterpiece piano solo album, released in 1980, is by American pianist Keith Jarrett, who rose to fame in his 20s with historic albums like "Solo Concert" and "Koln Concert," and has continued to be at the forefront of the music scene for many years since. This work features Jarrett performing pieces by Armenian composer Georges Ivanovich Gurdjieff—a philosopher and arguably the greatest mystic of the 20th century, who also worked as a writer and choreographer—that were re-arranged for piano by Russian composer Thomas de Hartmann, a disciple and collaborator of Gurdjieff. You can't help but marvel at Keith Jarrett's expressive power as he performs these unique pieces, which intertwine an ancient, esoteric, introspective world deeply reflecting Gurdjieff's religious views and philosophy with a distinct minimalism, all interpreted in Jarrett's unique style. The minimalist drone of A1 immediately draws you in. Original German pressing.