 The work was written after the death of Boulez's fellow composer Bruno Maderna, and Boulez describes it as "A ceremony of memory, in which there are numerous repetitions of the same formulas, in constantly changing profiles and perspectives".Gunther Schuller conducted the Berkshire Music Center Orchestra, a student ensemble, in the U.S. premiere of "Rituel" on 14 August 1975 as part of the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music.Boulez conducted the New York Philharmonic in the New York premiere (and the U.S. premiere by a professional orchestra) on 13 January 1977.