A chaconne (; ; es, chacona, links=no; it, ciaccona, links=no, ; earlier English: ''chacony'') is a type of musical composition often used as a vehicle for variation on a repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short repetitive bass-line (

ground bass In music, an ostinato (; derived from Italian word for ''stubborn'', compare English ''obstinate'') is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch. Well-known ostinato-based pieces include ...

) which offers a compositional outline for variation, decoration, figuration and melodic invention. In this it closely resembles the

passacaglia The passacaglia (; ) is a musical form that originated in early seventeenth-century Spain and is still used today by composers. It is usually of a serious character and is often based on a bass- ostinato and written in triple metre. Origin The t ...

. It originates and was particularly popular in the

Baroque era The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including th ...

; a large number of Chaconnes exist from the 17th- and 18th- centuries. The ground bass, if there is one, may typically descend stepwise from the tonic to the dominant pitch of the scale; the harmonies given to the upper parts may emphasize the

circle of fifths In music theory, the circle of fifths is a way of organizing the 12 chromatic pitches as a sequence of perfect fifths. (This is strictly true in the standard 12-tone equal temperament system — using a different system requires one interval of ...

or a derivative pattern thereof.

History

Though it originally emerged during the late sixteenth century in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

culture, having reputedly been introduced from the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

, as a quick dance-song characterized by suggestive movements and mocking texts, the chaconne by the early eighteenth century had evolved into a slow

triple meter Triple metre (or Am. triple meter, also known as triple time) is a musical metre characterized by a ''primary'' division of 3 beats to the bar, usually indicated by 3 (simple) or 9 ( compound) in the upper figure of the time signature, with , , ...

instrumental form. Alex Ross describes the origins of the ''chacona'' as actually having been a sexily swirling dance that appeared in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

at the end of the sixteenth century and quickly spread to Europe. The dance became popular both in the elite courts and in the general population. "Un sarao de la chacona" is one of the earliest known examples of a "chacona", written down by Spanish musician

Juan Arañés Juan Arañés (died c. 1649) was a Spanish baroque composer. His tonos and villancicos follow the style of those preserved in the Cancionero of Kraków. Biography Arañés was born in Aragon, at an unknown date. After studies in Alcalá de Henar ...

. Outstanding examples of early baroque chaconnes are Monteverdi's "Zefiro torna" and "Es steh Gott auf" by

Heinrich Schütz Heinrich Schütz (; 6 November 1672) was a German early Baroque composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as one of the most important composers of the 17th century. He ...

. 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 Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

. This 256-measure chaconne takes a plaintive four-

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

phrase through a continuous

kaleidoscope A kaleidoscope () is an optical instrument with two or more reflecting surfaces (or mirrors) tilted to each other at an angle, so that one or more (parts of) objects on one end of these mirrors are shown as a regular symmetrical pattern when v ...

of musical expression in both major and minor

modes Mode ( la, modus meaning "manner, tune, measure, due measure, rhythm, melody") may refer to: Arts and entertainment * '' MO''D''E (magazine)'', a defunct U.S. women's fashion magazine * ''Mode'' magazine, a fictional fashion magazine which is ...

. However, recently it has been proposed that the form of Bach's "Ciaccona" (he used the Italian form of the name, rather than the French "Chaconne") is really cast in the form of a French theatrical dance known as the "passacaille", although it also incorporates Italian and German style features as well. After the

Baroque period The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

, the chaconne fell into decline during the 19th century, though the 32 Variations in C minor by

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

suggest its continuing influence. However, the form saw a very substantial revival during the 20th century, with more than two dozen composers contributing examples (see below).

Chaconne and passacaglia

The chaconne has been understood by some nineteenth and early twentieth-century theorists to be a set of variations on a harmonic progression, as opposed to a set of variations on a melodic bass pattern (to which is assigned the term ''

''), while other theorists of the same period make the distinction the other way around. In actual usage in music history, the term "chaconne" has not been so clearly distinguished from passacaglia as regards the way the given piece of music is constructed, and "modern attempts to arrive at a clear distinction are arbitrary and historically unfounded." In fact, the two genres were sometimes combined in a single composition, as in the ''Cento partite sopra passacagli'', from ''Toccate d’intavolatura di cimbalo et organo, partite di diverse arie ...'' (1637), by

Girolamo Frescobaldi Girolamo Alessandro Frescobaldi (; also Gerolamo, Girolimo, and Geronimo Alissandro; September 15831 March 1643) was an Italian composer and virtuoso keyboard player. Born in the Duchy of Ferrara, he was one of the most important composers of k ...

, and the first suite of ''Les Nations'' (1726) as well as in the ''Pièces de Violes'' (1728) by François Couperin.

Frescobaldi The Frescobaldi are a prominent Florentine noble family that have been involved in the political, social, and economic history of Tuscany since the Middle Ages. Originating in the Val di Pesa in the Chianti, they appear holding important post ...

, who was probably the first composer to treat the chaconne and passacaglia comparatively, usually (but not always) sets the former in major key, with two compound triple-beat groups per variation, giving his chaconne a more propulsive forward motion than his passacaglia, which usually has four simple triple-beat groups per variation. Both are usually in

, begin on the second beat of the

, and have a theme of four measures (or a close multiple thereof). (In more recent times the chaconne, like the passacaglia, need not be in time; see, for instance, Francesco Tristano Schlimé's Chaconne/Ground Bass, where every section is built on seven-beats patterns)

Examples

17th century

* Francesca Caccini (1587 – c.1641): Ciaccona *

Antonio Bertali Antonio Bertali (March 1605–17 April 1669) was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era. He was born in Verona and received early music education there from Stefano Bernardi. Probably from 1624, he was employed as court music ...

(1605–1669): Ciaccona in C major for violin and continuo (undated) *

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber ( bapt. 12 August 1644, Stráž pod Ralskem – 3 May 1704, Salzburg) was a Bohemian-Austrian composer and violinist. Biber worked in Graz and Kroměříž before he illegally left his employer, Prince-Bishop Karl L ...

(1644–1704): Ciacona in D major for violin and basso continuo (undated); another in the Partita no. 3 in A major for seven string instruments, from ''Harmonia artificioso-ariosa'' (written 1696) *

Dieterich Buxtehude Dieterich Buxtehude (; ; born Diderik Hansen Buxtehude; c. 1637 – 9 May 1707) was a Danish organist and composer of the Baroque period, whose works are typical of the North German organ school. As a composer who worked in various vocal a ...

(c. 1638–1707): Prelude, fugue, and chaconne in C Major ( BuxWV 137), chaconne in C minor ( BuxWV 159), and chaconne in E minor ( BuxWV 160); all for organ (probably 1690s) *

Maurizio Cazzati Maurizio Cazzati (1 March 1616 – 28 September 1678) was a northern Italian composer of the seventeenth century. Biography Cazzati was born in Luzzara in the Duchy of Mantua. In spite of being almost unknown today, during his lifetime he served ...

(1616–1678): Ciaccona a tre con il suo balletto for two violins and violone, from ''Correnti, balletti, galiarde a 3 è 4'' (1659) *

Marc-Antoine Charpentier Marc-Antoine Charpentier (; 1643 – 24 February 1704) was a French Baroque composer during the reign of Louis XIV. One of his most famous works is the main theme from the prelude of his ''Te Deum'', ''Marche en rondeau''. This theme is still us ...

(1643–1704): Chaconne from the opera '' Les arts florissants'' (1685); another from the opera ''

David et Jonathas ''David et Jonathas'' (''David and Jonathan''), H. 490, is an opera in five acts and a prologue by the French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier, first performed at the Collège Louis-le-Grand, Paris, on 28 February 1688. The libretto, b ...

'' (1688); another from the opera ''

Médée ''Médée'' is a dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Pierre Corneille in 1635. Summary The heroine of the play is the sorceress Médée. After Médée gives Jason twin boys, Jason leaves her for Creusa. Médée ...

'' (1694) *

Arcangelo Corelli Arcangelo Corelli (, also , , ; 17 February 1653 – 8 January 1713) was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era. His music was key in the development of the modern genres of sonata and concerto, in establishing the preeminence of th ...

(1653–1713): Chaconne in G major in the Sonata op. 2, no. 12, from the ''Sonate da camera a tre: doi violini, e violone o cembalo'' (1685) *

(1583–1643): Four ciaccone (in F major, A minor, G major, A minor again) for harpsichord from ''Toccate d’intavolatura di cimbalo et organo, partite di diverse arie . . .'' (1637) *

Jean-Nicolas Geoffroy Jean-Nicolas Geoffroy (1633 – 11 March 1694) was a French harpsichordist, organist and composer.The registration of baroque organ music Barbara Owen - 1997 "Jean-Nicolas Geoffrey (fl. 1633-94)" His birthplace is unknown; he died in Perpigna ...

(1633–1694): Eighteen chaconnes for harpsichord, all unpublished in the composer's lifetime, perhaps the most chaconnes written by any known 17th-, 18th-, or 19th-century composer * Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632–1687): Chaconne from the opera ''Phaëton'' (1683); another from the opera ''Roland'' (1685); another from the opera ''Acis et Galatée'' (1686) *

Marin Marais Marin Marais (; 31 May 1656, in Paris – 15 August 1728, in Paris) was a French composer and viol player. He studied composition with Jean-Baptiste Lully, often conducting his operas, and with master of the bass viol Monsieur de Sainte-Colomb ...

(1656–1728): Chaconne in G major for two violas da gamba and continuo, no. 47 from the ''Pièces de violes'', premier livre (1686–89) *

Tarquinio Merula Tarquinio Merula (24 November 1595 – 10 December 1665) was an Italian composer, organist, and violinist of the early Baroque era. Although mainly active in Cremona, stylistically he was a member of the Venetian school. He was one of the most ...

(1594/95–1665): "Su la cetra amorosa," aria in ciaccona for soprano and instrumental accompaniment, from ''Madrigali et altre musiche concertate'' (1633) * Girolamo Montesardo (dates unknown): Chaconne bass line in three keys (G major, C major, F major) for guitar, from ''Nuova inventione d'intavolatura'' (1606), perhaps the first written chaconne * Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643): "Zefiro torna," ciaccona for two tenors and instrumental accompaniment, from ''Scherzi musicali cioè arie et madrigali'' (1632) * Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706): Two chaconnes (in C major, D major) for organ, from ''

Hexachordum Apollinis ''Hexachordum Apollinis'' (PWC 193–8, T. 211–6, PC 131–6, POP 1–6) is a collection of keyboard music by Johann Pachelbel, published in 1699. It comprises six arias with variations, on original themes, and is generally regarded as one of th ...

'' (1699); four more (in D major, D minor, F major,

F minor F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature consists of four flats. Its relative major is A-flat major and its parallel major is F major. Its enharmonic equivalent, E-sharp mi ...

) for organ (undated) * Henry Purcell (1659–1695): Chaconne from the semi-opera ''Prophetess, or The History of

Dioclesian ''Dioclesian'' (''The Prophetess: or, The History of Dioclesian'') is an English tragicomic semi-opera in five acts by Henry Purcell to a libretto by Thomas Betterton based on the play '' The Prophetess'', by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger, ...

'' (1690); two more from the semi-opera '' King Arthur, or The British Worthy'' (1691); another from the semi-opera ''

The Fairy-Queen ''The Fairy-Queen'' (1692; Purcell catalogue number Z.629) is a semi-opera by Henry Purcell; a "Restoration spectacular". The libretto is an anonymous adaptation of William Shakespeare's comedy ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. First performed ...

'' (1692) *

Robert de Visée Robert de Visée (c. 1655 – 1732/1733) was a French lutenist, guitarist, theorbist and viol player at the court of the kings Louis XIV and Louis XV, as well as a singer and composer for lute, theorbo and guitar. Biography Robert de Visée's p ...

(1655–1732/33): Two chaconnes (in F major, G major) for guitar from ''Livre de guittarre, dédié au roi'' (1682); another in G minor, from ''Livre de pieces pour la guittarre, dédié au roi'' (1686)

18th century

(1685–1750): Chaconne, fifth movement of Partita no. 2 in D minor for solo violin (1720) *

Luigi Boccherini Ridolfo Luigi Boccherini (, also , ; 19 February 1743 – 28 May 1805) was an Italian composer and cellist of the Classical era whose music retained a courtly and ''galante'' style even while he matured somewhat apart from the major Europea ...

(1743–1805): "Chaconne that represents Hell . . . in imitation of the one by M. Gluck," finale to Symphony in D minor, op. 12, no. 4 (1771) *

Joseph Bodin de Boismortier Joseph Bodin de Boismortier (23 December 1689 – 28 October 1755) was a French baroque composer of instrumental music, cantatas, opéra-ballets, and vocal music. Boismortier was one of the first composers to have no patrons: having obtained a ro ...

(1689–1755): Chaconne in A major for two cellos, from ''Neuf petites sonates et chaconne'' (1737); another in G major, from the opera ''Daphnis et Chloé'' (1747) * François Couperin (1668–1733): "La Favorite," chaconne, ninth movement in Ordre 3ème in C minor for harpsichord, from ''Pièces de clavecin'', premier livre (1713) * Antoine Forqueray (1671–1745): Chaconne "La Buisson", from ''Pieces de viole avec basse continue'' (1747) * Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714–1787): Chaconne in the opera '' Orfeo ed Euridice'' (1762); the same chaconne also in the opera ''

Iphigénie en Aulide ''Iphigénie en Aulide'' ('' Iphigeneia in Aulis'') is an opera in three acts by Christoph Willibald Gluck, the first work he wrote for the Paris stage. The libretto was written by François-Louis Gand Le Bland Du Roullet and was based on Jean ...

'' (1774); a different chaconne in the opera '' Armide'' (1777) * George Frideric Handel (1685–1759): Chaconne in G major and 21 variations for harpsichord (written 1705–17, published 1733); another in G major and 62 variations for organ (written 1703–06, published 1733) *

(1656–1728): Chaconne, eighth movement in Suite 3 in F major; another, final movement in Suite in A major; both for viola da gamba and continuo, from ''Pièces de viole'', quatrième livre (1717) * Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764): chaconne in D minor from the opera-ballet ''

Les Indes galantes (French: "The Amorous Indies") is an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau with a libretto by Louis Fuzelier. It takes the form of an ''opéra-ballet'' with a prologue and (in its final form) four ''entrées'' (acts). Following an allegorical prologue, ...

'' (1735); another in D minor from the opera-ballet ''

Les fêtes d'Hébé ''Les fêtes d'Hébé, ou Les talens lyriques '' (''The Festivities of Hebe, or The Lyric Talents'') is an ''opéra-ballet'' in a prologue and three ''entrées'' (acts) by the French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau. The libretto was written by Anto ...

'' (1739); another in A major from the comic opera ''

Platée ''Platée'' is an opera in a prologue and three acts by Jean-Philippe Rameau with a libretto by Adrien-Joseph Le Valois d'Orville. Rameau bought the rights to the libretto ''Platée ou Junon jalouse'' (''Plataea, or Juno Jealous'') by Jacques Au ...

'' (1745) *

Georg Philipp Telemann Georg Philipp Telemann (; – 25 June 1767) was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family's wishes. After studying in Magdeburg, Zellerfeld, and Hild ...

(1681–1767): "Lilliputian Chaconne," second movement of "Gulliver's Travels," Intrada-Suite in D major for 2 violins, from ''Der getreue Musikmeister'' (1728–29) * Tommaso Vitali (1663–1745): Chaconne in G minor for violin and piano (c. 1710–1730) * Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741): Ciaccona, third movement of Concerto in G minor for flute, oboe, violin, bassoon, strings (c. 1720) * Sylvius Leopold Weiss (1687–1750): Chaconne, eleventh movement in Sonata 1; another, ninth movement in Sonata 2; another, seventh movement in Sonata 10; another, seventh movement in Sonata 12; all for lute (all undated)

19th century

* Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98, finale * Franz Liszt: Chaconne from Sarabande und Chaconne aus dem Singspiel Almira, S.181 (1879) *

Heinrich Reimann Professor Dr. phil. Heinrich Reimann (March 12, 1850 – May 24, 1906), was a German musicologist, organist, and composer. Reimann was born in Rengersdorf, Silesia, and was a son of Ignaz Reimann, also a musician. Reimann studied at the ...

: Ciacona in F minor, op. 32, for organ

20th century

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of t ...

: second movement "Chaconne: Body Through Which the Dream Flows" from

Violin Concerto A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...

(1993) *

Malcolm Arnold Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold (21 October 1921 – 23 September 2006) was an English composer. His works feature music in many genres, including a cycle of nine symphonies, numerous concertos, concert works, chamber music, choral music and music ...

: second movement "Chaconne" from Recorder Sonatina, Op. 41 (1953) *Malcolm Arnold: second movement "Chaconne: Andante con moto" from Quintet For Brass, Op. 73 (1961) * Béla Bartók: first movement, "Tempo di ciaccona" from the Sonata for violin solo (1944) *

Howard Blake Howard David Blake (born 28 October 1938) is an English composer, conductor, and pianist whose career has spanned more than 50 years and produced more than 650 works. Blake's most successful work is his soundtrack for Channel 4’s 1982 film ' ...

: Chaconne (from Lifecycle, sequence of 24 piano solos) (1975) *

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

: "Chacony," third movement of the String Quartet No. 2, in C (1945) *Benjamin Britten: "Ciaccona," fifth movement of the Cello Suite No. 2 (1967) *

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (3 April 1895 – 16 March 1968) was an Italian composer, pianist and writer. He was known as one of the foremost guitar composers in the twentieth century with almost one hundred compositions for that instrument. In ...

: "El Sueño de la Razón Produce Monstruos", from "24 Caprichos de Goya", Op. 195 * John Corigliano: ''The Red Violin (Chaconne)'' for violin and orchestra *John Corigliano: Chaconne, 3rd movement of Symphony No. 1 "Giulio's Song" (1990) *

Johann Nepomuk David Johann Nepomuk David (30 November 1895 – 22 December 1977) was an Austrian composer. Life and career David was born in Eferding. He was a choirboy in the monastery of Sankt Florian and studied at an episcopal teacher training college in Linz, ...

: Chaconne in A minor for organ (1933) *Johann Nepomuk David: ''Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland: kleine Chaconne'' on "

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

" for organ * Robert Davidson: Chaconne for orchestra (1994) *

Norman Dello Joio Norman Dello Joio (January 24, 1913July 24, 2008) was an American composer active for over half a century. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1957. Life Dello Joio was born Nicodemo DeGioio in New York City to Italian immigrants. He began his music ...

: ''Variations, Chaconne, and Finale'' for orchestra * David Diamond: Chaconne, for violin and piano (1951) *

Cornelis Dopper Cornelis 'Kees' Dopper (7 February 1870, Stadskanaal – 19 September 1939, Amsterdam) was a Dutch composer, conductor and teacher. Life Born in the northern Dutch town of Stadskanaal, he came to study at the Leipzig conservatory with, am ...

: Ciaconna gotica (1920) *

Marcel Dupré Marcel Jean-Jules Dupré () (3 May 1886 – 30 May 1971) was a French organist, composer, and pedagogue. Biography Born in Rouen into a wealthy musical family, Marcel Dupré was a child prodigy. His father Aimable Albert Dupré was titular o ...

: ''Triptyque'', op. 51 (Chaconne, Musette, Dithyrambe), for organ *

Jean Françaix Jean René Désiré Françaix (; 23 May 1912, in Le Mans – 25 September 1997, in Paris) was a French neoclassical composer, pianist, and orchestrator, known for his prolific output and vibrant style. Life Françaix's natural gifts were encour ...

: Chaconne for harp and string orchestra (1976) *

Gunnar de Frumerie Per Gunnar Fredrik de Frumerie (20 July 1908, in Nacka, Stockholm County – 9 September 1987, in Täby, Stockholm County) was a Swedish composer and pianist. He was the son of architect Gustaf de Frumerie and Maria Helleday. After studying ...

: Chaconne op. 8, for piano (1932) * Philip Glass: ''Echorus'' for two violins and string orchestra (1995) *Philip Glass: Symphony No. 3, third movement (1995) *Philip Glass: Violin Concerto No. 1, second movement (1987) * Alexander Goehr: Chaconne, for organ (1985) * Sofia Gubaidulina: Chaconne, for piano (1962) *

Lou Harrison Lou Silver Harrison (May 14, 1917 – February 2, 2003) was an American composer, music critic, music theorist, painter, and creator of unique musical instruments. Harrison initially wrote in a dissonant, ultramodernist style similar to his for ...

: ''Suite for Violin and American Gamelan'' (1974) *

Hans Werner Henze Hans Werner Henze (1 July 1926 – 27 October 2012) was a German composer. His large oeuvre of works is extremely varied in style, having been influenced by serialism, atonality, Stravinsky, Italian music, Arabic music and jazz, as well as ...

: ''Il Vitalino raddoppiato: ciaccona per violino soloista e orchestra da camera'' (1977) *Hans Werner Henze: ''Concerto for Double Bass'', third movement (1966) *

Heinz Holliger Heinz Robert Holliger (born 21 May 1939) is a Swiss virtuoso oboist, composer and conductor. Celebrated for his versatility and technique, Holliger is among the most prominent oboists of his generation. His repertoire includes Baroque and Classic ...

: Chaconne for solo cello (1975) *

Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...

: "Chaconne" from First Suite in E-flat major for Military Band (according to one writer, technically a passacaglia, but according to others, technically a chaconne)Budd Udell, "Standard Works for Band: Gustav Holst's First Suite in E♭ Major for Military Band." ''Music Educators Journal'' 69, no. 4 (1982) page 28
(JSTOR subscription access)
– Pam Hurry, Mark Phillips, and Mark Richards

(Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 2001. ) p. 238. – Clarence Lucas,
The Story of Musical Form
' (The Music Story Series, edited by Frederick J. Crowest. London: The Walter Scott Publishing Co., Ltd.; New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1908) page 203. *

Arthur Honegger Arthur Honegger (; 10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss composer who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. A member of Les Six, his best known work is probably ''Antigone'', composed between 1924 and 1927 t ...

: ''Chaconne de l'impératrice'', from the film music for ''Napoléon'' (1926–27) *

Ernst Krenek Ernst Heinrich Krenek (, 23 August 1900 – 22 December 1991) was an Austrian, later American, composer of Czech origin. He explored atonality and other modern styles and wrote a number of books, including ''Music Here and Now'' (1939), a study ...

: ''Toccata und Chaconne: über den Choral "Ja ich glaub an Jesum Christum"'', op. 13, for piano *

György Ligeti György Sándor Ligeti (; ; 28 May 1923 – 12 June 2006) was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century ...

: ''Hungarian Rock: Chaconne'', for harpsichord *

Douglas Lilburn Douglas Gordon Lilburn (2 November 19156 June 2001) was a New Zealand composer. Early life Lilburn was born in Whanganui and spent his early years on the family sheep farm in the upper Turakina River valley at Drysdale. He attended Waitaki ...

: Chaconne, for Piano (1946) * Frank Martin: Chaconne, for cello and piano (1931) *

Carl Nielsen Carl August Nielsen (; 9 June 1865 – 3 October 1931) was a Danish composer, conductor and violinist, widely recognized as his country's most prominent composer. Brought up by poor yet musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he ...

Chaconne A chaconne (; ; es, chacona, links=no; it, ciaccona, links=no, ; earlier English: ''chacony'') is a type of musical composition often used as a vehicle for variation on a repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short rep ...

, op. 32, for piano (1916–17) *

Henri Pousseur Henri Léon Marie-Thérèse Pousseur (23 June 1929 – 6 March 2009) was a Belgian classical composer, teacher, and music theorist. Biography Pousseur was born in Malmedy and studied at the Academies of Music in Liège and in Brussels from 1947 t ...

: Chaconne for solo violin *

Knudåge Riisager Knudåge Riisager (6 March 1897 in Kunda, Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia follow ...

: Chaconne, op. 50, for orchestra *

Poul Ruders Poul Ruders (born 27 March 1949) is a Danish composer. Life Born in Ringsted, Ruders trained as an organist, and studied orchestration with Karl Aage Rasmussen. Ruders's first compositions date from the mid-1960s. Ruders regards his own compositi ...

: Chaconne for solo guitar * Franz Schmidt: Chaconne in C minor, for organ. (1925) Arranged for orchestra (transposed to D minor) in 1931. *

Reginald Smith Brindle Reginald Smith Brindle (5 January 1917 – 9 September 2003) was a British composer and writer. Early life Smith Brindle was born in Cuerdon, Lancashire, to Robert and Jane Smith Brindle. He began learning the piano at the age of six, and lat ...

: ''Chaconne and Interludes: (The Instruments of Peace III)'', for two guitars *

Leo Sowerby Leo Salkeld Sowerby (1 May 1895 – 7 July 1968) was an American composer and church musician. He won the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1946 and was often called the “Dean of American church music” in the early to mid 20th century. Biography ...

: Chaconne, for tuba and piano (1938) *Leo Sowerby: ''Canon, Chacony, & Fugue'' for organ (1948) * David Van Vactor: ''Fantasia, Chaconne, and Allegro'', for orchestra * Stefan Wolpe: ''Dance in Form of a Chaconne'' for piano (1941) *

Michiru Yamane is a Japanese video game composer and pianist. Yamane's musical style draws on baroque, classical and rock traditions, with both Johann Sebastian Bach and Yellow Magic Orchestra as prominent influences. She is best known for her two decades ...

: ''Chaconne in C-moll'' for organ (1996) *

Bernd Alois Zimmermann Bernd Alois Zimmermann (20 March 1918 – 10 August 1970) was a German composer. He is perhaps best known for his opera ''Die Soldaten'', which is regarded as one of the most important German operas of the 20th century, after those of Berg. As a ...

: opera ''Die Soldaten'' (1965). Act 1, Scene 2 (Ciacona 1). Act 2, Scene 2 (Capriccio, Corale e Ciacona II). Act 4, Scene 2 (Ciacona III)

21st century

* Paulo Galvão: Chacoinas (2) in A minor for

baroque guitar The Baroque guitar (c. 1600–1750) is a string instrument with five courses of gut strings and moveable gut frets. The first (highest pitched) course sometimes used only a single string. History The Baroque guitar replaced the Renaissance lute ...

. * Jennifer Higdon: "Chaconni," second movement from her

violin concerto A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...

(2008) *

Krzysztof Penderecki Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best known works include ''Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', '' Polish Requiem'', ' ...

: ''Ciaccona in memoria Giovanni Paolo II per archi'' (for string orchestra) from ''

Polish Requiem ''Polish Requiem'' (original Polish title: '' Requiem''; german: Requiem), also ''A Polish Requiem'', is a large-scale requiem mass for soloists, mixed choir and orchestra by the Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki. The Lacrimosa, dedicated to ...

'' (added in 2005). * Francesco Tristano Schlimé: Chaconne/Ground Bass for

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

(1997/2004/2012). *

Roman Turovsky Roman Turovsky-Savchuk (Ukrainian: Роман Туровський-Савчук) is an American artist-painter, photographer and videoinstallation artist, as well as a lutenist-composer,

: Chaconnes in C major, C minor and D minor for baroque lute. * Simon Andrews: Chaconne, 2nd movement of Symphony No. 1 "For the heart is an organ of fire" (2013) *

Marc-André Dalbavie Marc-André Dalbavie (born 10 February 1961 at Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) is a French composer.Anne Sédès, "Marc-André Dalbavie", ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' He had his first music lessons at age 6.orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

(2002). *Paulo Ugoletti: Ciaccona per pianoforte. * Michael Blake: French Suite for

, first dance (1994). *Michael Blake: Kora for harp (2009).

References

External links

Ciaccona Book trailer
{{Authority control Baroque dance Dance forms in classical music Musical forms