Chaconne in F minor (Pachelbel)
Encyclopedia
Chaconne in F minor is an organ
chaconne
by Johann Pachelbel
. One of the six surviving chaconnes by the composer, it is one of his best known organ works.
Like most other chaconnes by Pachelbel (with the exception of Chaconne in D major, PWC 40, T. 203, PC 145, POP 13), Chaconne in F minor survives in a single copy. The manuscript is currently in possession of the Royal Library of Belgium
in Brussels
(catalogue number MS II.3911) and contains seven groups of pieces, each containing a chaconne. One of these is the Chaconne in F minor, attributed by the scribe to Pachelbel. Another chaconne from the same source, in A major, is also attributed to Pachelbel, but the piece has yet to be examined by the experts (it is included as one of doubtful authorship in the Perreault catalogue, PWC 44). There are also four anonymous chaconnes, possibly composed by a pupil of Pachelbel.
No information concerning the date of composition is known. Since the piece is more sophisticated than most other chaconnes, it may represent a late stage of development of Pachelbel's chaconne style.
The chaconne comprises a theme and 22 variations, the last of which is an almost exact repeat of the theme. The ostinato
bass pattern is not kept intact in all variations, and disappears in some, anticipating similar passages in Johann Sebastian Bach's famous Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor
, BWV
582. Pachelbel's variation technique serves to "dissect" the harmonies, rather than vary the "theme", which is typical of his mature chaconnes, including the Chaconne in D minor
and the Chaconne in F major. The Chaconne in F minor has been described as one of Pachelbel's finest works.
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
chaconne
Chaconne
A chaconne ; is a type of musical composition popular in the baroque era when it was much used as a vehicle for variation on a repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short repetitive bass-line which offered a compositional outline for variation, decoration, figuration and...
by Johann Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most...
. One of the six surviving chaconnes by the composer, it is one of his best known organ works.
Like most other chaconnes by Pachelbel (with the exception of Chaconne in D major, PWC 40, T. 203, PC 145, POP 13), Chaconne in F minor survives in a single copy. The manuscript is currently in possession of the Royal Library of Belgium
Royal Library of Belgium
The Royal Library of Belgium is one of the most important cultural institutions in Belgium. The library has a history that goes back to the age of the Dukes of Burgundy...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(catalogue number MS II.3911) and contains seven groups of pieces, each containing a chaconne. One of these is the Chaconne in F minor, attributed by the scribe to Pachelbel. Another chaconne from the same source, in A major, is also attributed to Pachelbel, but the piece has yet to be examined by the experts (it is included as one of doubtful authorship in the Perreault catalogue, PWC 44). There are also four anonymous chaconnes, possibly composed by a pupil of Pachelbel.
No information concerning the date of composition is known. Since the piece is more sophisticated than most other chaconnes, it may represent a late stage of development of Pachelbel's chaconne style.
The chaconne comprises a theme and 22 variations, the last of which is an almost exact repeat of the theme. The ostinato
Ostinato
In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase, which is persistently repeated in the same musical voice. An ostinato is always a succession of equal sounds, wherein each note always has the same weight or stress. The repeating idea may be a rhythmic pattern, part of a tune, or a complete melody in...
bass pattern is not kept intact in all variations, and disappears in some, anticipating similar passages in Johann Sebastian Bach's famous Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor
Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582
Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor is an organ piece by Johann Sebastian Bach. Presumably composed early in Bach's career, it is one of his most important and well-known works, and an important influence on 19th and 20th century passacaglias: Robert Schumann described the variations of the...
, BWV
BWV
The Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis is the numbering system identifying compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. The prefix BWV, followed by the work's number, is the shorthand identification for Bach's compositions...
582. Pachelbel's variation technique serves to "dissect" the harmonies, rather than vary the "theme", which is typical of his mature chaconnes, including the Chaconne in D minor
Chaconne in D minor (Pachelbel)
Chaconne in D minor is an organ chaconne by Johann Pachelbel. It is one of the six surviving chaconnes by the composer, and one of his best known organ works....
and the Chaconne in F major. The Chaconne in F minor has been described as one of Pachelbel's finest works.