chaconne

1. : an old Spanish dance tune of Latin American origin. 2. : a musical composition in moderate triple time typically consisting of variations on a repeated succession of chords.

It is thought that Bach wrote the Chaconne as a response to the death of his first wife, a sombre expression of the grief he experienced. To most ears the music reveals love, anguish, death and fear: it is rich, clearly, in emotion.

Outstanding examples of early baroque chaconnes are Monteverdi's "Zefiro torna" and "Es steh Gott auf" by Heinrich Schütz. One of the best known and most masterful and expressive examples of the chaconne is the final movement from the Violin Partita in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach.

From French chaconne, from Spanish chacona, likely from Basque chucun (“pretty”).

The Chaconne is challenging on many levels and is considered by many to be the pinnacle of violin composition. One can learn the notes with practice but learning how to interpret and phrase the piece is a lifetime undertaking.

One opinion is that the chaconne is a series of variations over a short repeated theme (ostinato) in the bass - a basso ostinato, or ground bass - whereas in the passacaglia the ostinato may appear in any voice.

It was a period of great freedom and creativity for the composer. The Chaconne forms the longest movement of the piece by far, making up roughly half of the entire partita. It draws upon the Baroque dance form known as a chaconne, in which a basic theme stated at the opening is then restated in several variations.

Musicians have had difficulty defining the two forms. One opinion is that the chaconne is a series of variations over a short repeated theme (ostinato) in the bass - a basso ostinato, or ground bass - whereas in the passacaglia the ostinato may appear in any voice.

The musical form of the chaconne is a continuous variation, usually in triple metre and a major key; it is generally characterized by a short, repeating bass line or harmonic progression. The chaconne form, which is similar to that of the passacaglia, was used by composers in the Baroque period and later.

(ʃəˈkɒn , French ʃakɔn ) noun. 1. a musical form consisting of a set of continuous variations upon a ground bass. See also passacaglia.

The musical form of the chaconne is a continuous variation, usually in triple metre and a major key; it is generally characterized by a short, repeating bass line or harmonic progression. The chaconne form, which is similar to that of the passacaglia, was used by composers in the Baroque period and later.

The biggest difficulty with the Chaconne is the double stops, or rather triple and quadruple stops. The toughest chords for me are those that involve fifths, but if you want to improve your double stops, this piece will do it.