Customer Reviews

Spheres

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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Recorded in September 1976 at Ottobeuren Abbey, W.Germany- and a unique diversion from his earlier works- Keith Jarrett paint's a beautifully evocative, sad, and poignant landscape of sound (both beautifully harmonic and wonderfully dissonant) on the "Trinity Organ", the larger of the Karl Joseph Riepp (1715-1775) Organs at the Benedictine Abbey Ottobeuren. According to the original album liner notes: "No overdubs, technical ornamentations or additions were utilized, only the pure sound of the organ in the abbey is heard. Many of the unique effects, although never before used, were accomplished by pulling certain stops part way, while others remain completely open or closed. Amazingly, baroque organs have always had this capability."

These pieces have always affected me in a deep and reflective way (to me the music is both sad and uplifting) and 20 years after initially purchasing the double-album on ECM (originally titled "Hymns Spheres" Catalog# ECM-2-1086) the music still has the same affect.

Sadly, two pieces -the original recording's opening and closing compositions titled "Hymn Of Remembrance" and "Hymn Of Release"- were ommitted, probably due to time constraints. Still, I highly recommend "Spheres" although I wish ECM released this work intact as a double-CD release.

- Ray

(...)

Yes, this is really an amazing performance. Shards of sound, whispers of melody, great atmospherics. At times the music reminds me of Ligeti pieces like "Atmospheres"; music that is more about color and dynamics rather than melody and counterpoint. Jarrett coaxes just about every imagineable sound out of a baroque organ, with its myriad of tone colors and strange intonation.
This CD is actually a severely truncated version of the LP set "Hymns/Spheres", which was at least twice the length of this release (only 4 of 9 movements of "Spheres" are on the CD, and the two lengthy "Hymns" are missing). I would assume that the reason is that ECM figured not enough people would buy the complete set on CD, but this is my official request for them to
release this set in its entirety.

A hauntingly beautiful and mysterious work. Jarrett basically 'reinvents' the baroque organ with this masterpiece of purely improvised material. Both melancholic and spiritually up-lifting, it is a pity that the entire set was not completely released.

This is it. I originally purchased the Hymns/Spheres 2 LP set in the 80s in a used record store while looking for some of Jarrett's jazz titles. When I listened to it I found a work so phenomenal and inspiring that it changed my musical tastes forever. I have been listening to this recording off and on for years, yet its depth and complexity only seem to improve with age. Initially almost atonal to the uninitiated, the familiar ear sees only the purest serenity. This is easily my favorite work (by anyone, any genre) of all time. If anyone at EMI is listening, please do the right thing and release a remastered, unedited version again.

If there were a fire in my house, this is the one CD I would save. In my opinion, this is the most spriritually inspiring piece of music of the late 20th century. Improvised organ music may not be everyone's cup of tea. But for some of us, the rich joyous sounds of this unique album can transport the listener to great heights. If this CD were a drug, it would probably be illegal.

The original double LP is superior to this CD because it includes all the movements.

When I first heard this recording in a record store in ann arbor back in '78 I was mesmerized. To this day I feel that this is Keith Jarretts most interesting and profound work. It has for me an effect similar to gazing into a sky filled with stars which can be both moving and frightening at the same time.
I own the LP ,which others reviewing have mentioned includes several other pieces, so I submit another request to please, please release the full performance of this wonderful music on CD.

Everyone's review is right on the money--this CD is an overlooked masterpiece. I bought it in 1997 and it has been my favorite record ever since. Track down the double CD with all 9 movements as well as "Hymn of Remembrance". The entire collection is beautiful. The music is sublime--I've never heard music like it in my life. At the same time, its energy stems from the same place that all of Keith's musical energy comes from. Fans of classical organ music might also find this CD interesting for its technical ingenuity.

Well with this cusp-of-2010 review I add my voice to the choir wondering out loud why ECM has still *failed* to release this wondrous work of audio art in digitized form. As with pretty much everyone else who offered a review I own the LP and have waited what appears to be some 33 years for ECM to *get with the program*. I knew what i was getting when i'd first heard most of it on some college radio station perhaps in the early 80's and was transformed by its ability to craft soundscapes of Jarret's own take on the ability of music to evoke the spiritual , dare I suggest the sacred. And, because of my love of what this *entire* album can achieve when one listens to it with the same willingness to loose oneself in it the way one curls up with a great book , I only played the LP once for transfer to audio cassette , not wanting to risk a single scratch to distract from the pureness of this meditation in cathedral organ performance , and listened to that for many years till it was ultimately misplaced and lost.
But , hell , I didn't mind because I figured I'd just wait for the CD version to arrive. That wait has now spanned over a quarter century into the 21st century. One would think that if the cost of merchandise itself was the issue that made ECM shy of re-releasing it as a physical CD they would at the very least be able to release the work in its original entirety via MP3. Alas ECM is not capable of even that and one wonders if the current business owners of the ECM catalogue is even aware of this piece in its inventory. I guess that means nothing less than a formal *on line* petition from owners of the LP is the only avenue left seeing as how the Amazon review forum isn't sufficient. One might seek to contact Keith Jarret himself and see if he could rattle the ECM cage that holds this apparently forgotten work of his hostage before he passes from the scene entirely.
Suffice it to say that my lending my voice towards getting this piece released in its unadulterated original completeness says all there is to be said about the quality of this work of musical art.

With only four of nine movements from the 2-LP release - Hymns/Spheres - in 1976, this is one CD that ECM stumbled badly on....but what made the cut is incredible artistry on the Baroque organ by Keith Jarrett.

Through organ stops and partially-opened stops, Jarrett paints a landscape with "electronic" effects. The rich bass tones, mood shifts and spontaneity takes the listener from light to shadows, unbridled happiness and deep contemplation. One receives a variety of feelings from the music depending upon the heart and soul at that moment.

A truncated classic, Jarrett's vision delivers incredible soundscapes that speak volumes on the potential of merging the past with the present for a limitless future of appreciating the music.

I found this on vinyl at a used record store for four dollars. I find it incredulous that some moron actually sold it. Probably for a dollar!!! It is definitely the best value I have ever had in 30 years of music buying.

I am listening to it as I write this review. The sounds that gets out of the organ are astonishing to say the least. I think a lot of the appeal of this album (asside from the fact that KJ is a genius) is that he gets synthesizer-like textures from a completely acoustic instrument. Synths will never match the sonic complexity of an acoustic instrument. This must have sounded amazing live. The pitch bending stuff turns my ear on its edge. You can pry this album from my cold dead hands.