History
Though it originally emerged during the late sixteenth century in Spain, Spanish culture, having reputedly been introduced from the New World, 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 metre, triple meter instrumental form. Alex Ross (music critic), Alex Ross describes the origins of the ''chacona'' as actually having been a sexily swirling dance that appeared in South America 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. 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 Partita for Violin No. 2 (Bach), Violin Partita in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach. This 256-measure chaconne takes a plaintive four-bar (music), bar phrase through a continuous kaleidoscope of musical expression in both major and minor Musical mode, modes. 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 music, Baroque period, the chaconne fell into decline during the 19th century, though the 32 Variations in C minor (Beethoven), 32 Variations in C minor by Ludwig van Beethoven, Beethoven 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 ''passacaglia''), 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, and the first suite of ''Les Nations'' (1726) as well as in the ''Pièces de Violes'' (1728) by François Couperin. Girolamo Frescobaldi, Frescobaldi, 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 triple metre, triple meter, begin on the second beat of the bar (music), bar, 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 (1605–1669): Ciaccona in C major for violin and continuo (undated) *Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644–1704): Ciacona in D major for violin and Figured bass, basso continuo (undated); another in the Partita no. 3 in A major for seven string instruments, from ''Harmonia artificioso-ariosa'' (written 1696) *Dieterich Buxtehude (c. 1638–1707): Prelude, fugue, and chaconne in C Major (List of compositions by Dieterich Buxtehude, BuxWV 137), chaconne in C minor (List of compositions by Dieterich Buxtehude, BuxWV 159), and chaconne in E minor (List of compositions by Dieterich Buxtehude, BuxWV 160); all for organ (probably 1690s) *Maurizio Cazzati (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 (1643–1704): Chaconne from the opera ''Les arts florissants (opera), Les arts florissants'' (1685); another from the opera ''David et Jonathas'' (1688); another from the opera ''Médée (Charpentier), Médée'' (1694) *Arcangelo Corelli (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) *Girolamo Frescobaldi (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 (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 (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 (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'' (1699); four more (in D major, Chaconne in D minor (Pachelbel), D minor, F major, Chaconne in F minor, F minor) for organ (undated) *Henry Purcell (1659–1695): Chaconne from the semi-opera ''Prophetess, or The History of Dioclesian'' (1690); two more from the semi-opera ''King Arthur (opera), King Arthur, or The British Worthy'' (1691); another from the semi-opera ''The Fairy-Queen'' (1692) *Robert de Visée (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
*Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): Chaconne, fifth movement of Partita for Violin No. 2 (Bach), Partita no. 2 in D minor for solo violin (1720) *Luigi Boccherini (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 (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'' (1774); a different chaconne in the opera ''Armide (Gluck), 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) *Marin Marais (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'' (1735); another in D minor from the opera-ballet ''Les fêtes d'Hébé'' (1739); another in A major from the comic opera ''Platée'' (1745) *Georg Philipp Telemann (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 (Brahms), Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98, finale * Franz Liszt: Chaconne from Sarabande and Chaconne from Handel's Almira (Liszt), Sarabande und Chaconne aus dem Singspiel Almira, S.181 (1879) * Heinrich Reimann: Ciacona in F minor, op. 32, for organ20th century
*John Coolidge Adams, John Adams: second movement "Chaconne: Body Through Which the Dream Flows" from Violin Concerto (John Adams), Violin Concerto (1993) *Malcolm Arnold: second movement "Chaconne" from Recorder Sonatina, Op. 41 (1953) *Malcolm Arnold: second movement "Chaconne: Andante con moto" from Brass quintet, Quintet For Brass, Op. 73 (1961) *Béla Bartók: first movement, "Tempo di ciaccona" from the Sonata for Solo Violin (Bartók), Sonata for violin solo (1944) *Howard Blake: Chaconne (from Lifecycle, sequence of 24 piano solos) (1975) *Benjamin Britten: "Chacony," third movement of the String Quartet No. 2, in C (1945) *Benjamin Britten: "Ciaccona," fifth movement of the Cello Suites (Britten), Cello Suite No. 2 (1967) *Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco: "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: Chaconne in A minor for organ (1933) *Johann Nepomuk David: ''Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland: kleine Chaconne'' on "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" for organ *Robert Davidson (composer), Robert Davidson: Chaconne for orchestra (1994) *Norman Dello Joio: ''Variations, Chaconne, and Finale'' for orchestra *David Diamond (composer), David Diamond: Chaconne, for violin and piano (1951) *Cornelis Dopper: Ciaconna gotica (1920) *Marcel Dupré: ''Triptyque'', op. 51 (Chaconne, Musette, Dithyrambe), for organ *Jean Françaix: Chaconne for harp and string orchestra (1976) *Gunnar de Frumerie: Chaconne op. 8, for piano (1932) *Philip Glass: ''Echorus'' for two violins and string orchestra (1995) *Philip Glass: Symphony No. 3 (Glass), Symphony No. 3, third movement (1995) *Philip Glass: Violin Concerto No. 1 (Glass), Violin Concerto No. 1, second movement (1987) *Alexander Goehr: Chaconne, for organ (1985) *Sofia Gubaidulina: Chaconne, for piano (1962) *Lou Harrison: ''Suite for Violin and American Gamelan'' (1974) *Hans Werner Henze: ''Il Vitalino raddoppiato: ciaccona per violino soloista e orchestra da camera'' (1977) *Hans Werner Henze: ''Concerto for Double Bass'', third movement (1966) *Heinz Holliger: Chaconne for solo cello (1975) *Gustav Holst: "Chaconne" from First Suite in Eb for Military Band, 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 2821st century
*Paulo Galvão: Chacoinas (2) in A minor for baroque guitar. *Jennifer Higdon: "Chaconni," second movement from her Violin Concerto (Higdon), violin concerto (2008) *Krzysztof Penderecki: ''Ciaccona in memoria Giovanni Paolo II per archi'' (for string orchestra) from ''Polish Requiem'' (added in 2005). *Francesco Tristano Schlimé: Chaconne/Ground Bass for piano (1997/2004/2012). *Roman Turovsky: Chaconnes in C major, C minor and D minor for baroque lute. *Simon Andrews (composer), Simon Andrews: Chaconne, 2nd movement of Symphony No. 1 "For the heart is an organ of fire" (2013) *Marc-André Dalbavie: Ciaccona for orchestra (2002). *Paulo Ugoletti: Ciaccona per pianoforte. *Michael Blake (composer), Michael Blake: French Suite for piano, first dance (1994). *Michael Blake: Kora for harp (2009).References
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