The Passacaglia: a form of great integrity, grandeur, and power

[kyjo]

The passacaglia is probably my favorite "form" (for lack of a better term) used in classical music. One aspect I particularly like about them is that they start off simply and often mysteriously, and increase in intensity and complexity until the climax, which is usually quite powerful. In standard repertoire, there are passacaglias by Bach and other Baroque composers (including the Handel/Halvorsen), Brahms (finale of Symphony 4), Shostakovich (slow movement of VC 1 and the Prelude from P&F 12), and Britten (Peter Grimes, finale of VC). Some of the most powerful works in this form I know come from lesser-known composers, not least among them Kabelac's The Mystery of Time (which I and others have raved about countless times before) and Ludvig Irgens-Jensen's Passacaglia for orchestra, which is a masterpiece resembling a hybrid between Bach, Sibelius and Bruckner. Also, the finale of Flagello's craggy, impassioned Symphony no. 1 is a passacaglia which takes Brahms 4 as its point of departure. Another symphonic example is the gloriously uplifting finale from Rubbra's Symphony no. 7, a work of utmost inspiration and grandeur. I own an anthology of 20th century piano music which includes a Passacaglia by Piston (which is, interestingly, in 5/8 time), but I have neither played nor heard it.

Any other examples that I missed?

[CRCulver]

Another notable passacaglia is the second movement of Per Nørgård's Symphony No. 3, a piece which seems to be very widely liked.

[kyjo]

Webern, the ever searching polarities within, one of the greatest ever written.

Don't know how I forgot that one-it's actually a work by Webern that I enjoy!

[kyjo]

Another notable passacaglia is the second movement of Per Nørgård's Symphony No. 3, a piece which seems to be very widely liked.

I like Norgard's Symphony no. 3 a lot-it's a dazzlingly colorful score-and I prefer it to most of his other works.

[Brahmsian]

Some other notable examples (I agree, it is a fantastic form!)  :

*Shostakovich - Symphony No. 8 - 4th movement

*Ravel - Piano Trio - 3rd movement

*Taneyev - Piano Quintet - 3rd movement

[vandermolen]

Coincidentally listening to the finale of Rubbra's 7th Symphony as I read this!

One of my favourites features in Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No 1.

....and of course the Kabelac.

[Mirror Image]

We mustn't forget Frank Martin's Passacaglia.

[kyjo]

We mustn't forget Frank Martin's Passacaglia.

I had this one in mind when posting but forgot about it by the time I finished my post!

[Lisztianwagner]

In the beautiful, suggestive Liszt's Spanish Rhapsody, after the cadenza, the variations on La folia are in form of passacaglia.

[kyjo]

Coincidentally listening to the finale of Rubbra's 7th Symphony as I read this!

One of my favourites features in Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No 1.

....and of course the Kabelac.

Jeffrey, have you heard the Irgens-Jensen? I would think you'd really like it!

[Mirror Image]

Jeffrey, have you heard the Irgens-Jensen? I would think you'd really like it!

Yes, to that work, Kyle. A very good work indeed. I'm thinking of acquiring some more of Irgens-Jensen. Have you heard the CPO or Simax recordings, Kyle? I own the Naxos and while it's good, I can imagine more powerful performances.

[Mandryka]

Is Beethoven's C minor variations WoO 80 a passacaglia? I'm not sure I really know what one is. Another very fine passacaglia is Ronald Stevenson's Passacaglia and Fugue on DSCH. And there's a beautiful passacaglia in Pierrot lunaire.

[kyjo]

Yes, to that work, Kyle. A very good work indeed. I'm thinking of acquiring some more of Irgens-Jensen. Have you heard the CPO or Simax recordings, Kyle? I own the Naxos and while it's good, I can imagine more powerful performances.

Yes, I have the following recordings (besides the Naxos):

[asin]B009NR72VG[/asin]   [asin]B00006AO06[/asin]

The CPO is especially handy as it includes the majority of I-J's orchestral works. The performances are fine as well (I don't find anything underpowered about the ones on Naxos BTW). The Simax CD includes the beautiful orchestral song cycle Japanesischer Frühling, which inhabits an altogether different world than the dark, Nordic Symphony and the Passacaglia. There's two other Simax CDs of his music which I don't own: one is of the supposedly epic nationalist cantata Heimferd, and the other includes the Partita Sinfonica, the Passacaglia, and the Violin Sonata, the last of which I don't know.

[TheGSMoeller]

Webern, the ever searching polarities within, one of the greatest ever written.

This is a fantastic piece, James.

Britten used it quite often, and very successfully I believe. Violin Concerto, Cello Symphony and String Quartet No.3.

[some guy]

Varèse, Arcana.

[kyjo]

Is Beethoven's C minor variations WoO 80 a passacaglia? I'm not sure I really know what one is. Another very fine passacaglia is Ronald Stevenson's Passacaglia and Fugue on DSCH.

Wikipedia says this: The short and sparsely melodic theme, as well as the emphasis on the bass line, reflect a possible influence of the chaconne.

Chaconnes are rather similar to passacaglias, except I think the former are more closely linked with the variation form than the latter.

[kyjo]

Britten used it quite often, and very successfully I believe. Violin Concerto, Cello Symphony and String Quartet No.3.

Forgot about the latter two examples!

[Mirror Image]

Yes, I have the following recordings (besides the Naxos):

[asin]B009NR72VG[/asin]   [asin]B00006AO06[/asin]

The CPO is especially handy as it includes the majority of I-J's orchestral works. The performances are fine as well (I don't find anything underpowered about the ones on Naxos BTW). The Simax CD includes the beautiful orchestral song cycle Japanesischer Frühling, which inhabits an altogether different world than the dark, Nordic Symphony and the Passacaglia. There's two other Simax CDs of his music which I don't own: one is of the supposedly epic nationalist cantata Heimferd, and the other includes the Partita Sinfonica, the Passacaglia, and the Violin Sonata, the last of which I don't know.

Thanks for the feedback, Kyle. Will investigate that CPO set.

[North Star]

Last movements of Lutoslawski's Concerto for Orchestra and RVW's 5th symphony haven't been mentioned so far.

[Dax]

Godowsky.

Some big ones by Sorabji.

Not forgetting Ronald Stevenson.