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Sunday, 29 January 2023

Higher Q & A 21: What is a PASSACAGLIA?

A Passacaglia  is an instrumental composition which is built on a ground bass


In this example - a passacaglia for organ - notice that the bass part (the lowest stave) lasts for 8 bars and then keeps repeating this same 8 bar pattern throughout the piece - this is a ground bass. The upper parts, however, continue to develop variations of the original melody.



                                             


Click here for a quiz on passacaglia and other Baroque terms.

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