 It was first performed in London on 2 April 1975 by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Boulez.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.