Pietà

Pietà is the final work in Christian Jost's Requiem trilogy, which he started in 2000. Although written last, Pietà is the first work in the cycle, followed by DiesIrae for trombone and orchestra and then Lux Aeterna for alto saxophone and orchestra. The three works can also be performed separately.

Although Pietà isn’t a jazz piece, the subtitle In memoriam Chet Baker hints at the underlying musical idea. The trumpet enters jazz ground again and again with Baker's versatility and elegance. Baker's heartbreaking life-story and tragic death is reflected in a lyrical adagio. This idea extends to the destiny of all mankind in the subsequent works of the trilogy. As a consequence, Pietà is, due to its nature and the melodic part of the solo trumpet, the most intimate part of the cycle.