Matthew Compton

Analysis Paper

Passacaglia

1: The passacaglia came from 17
th
century Spain as a dance set in 3/4. It was originally an unsavory
reputation and possibly quite fiery, but it is more commonly set now to be a courtly style. The dance was
set to impose majesty.
2: Bachs Passacaglia in C Minor was most likely composed between the years 1706-1713, but there
is no distinct date that is attributed to this piece. Bach had spent five months (it was originally supposed
to be one month) in Lbeck to hear the organist Dietrich Buxtehude. Bach may have studied under
Buxtehude and during that time, may have studied his music. Following Buxtehudes death in 1707, Bach
may have composed the Passacaglia in honor of Buxtehude and Bachs Passacaglia may have some
influence from Buxtehudes.
3: Bach derived his Passacaglia from the four measure pattern by Andr Raison and expanded it to
eight measures. The second part of the theme may have actually come from a chaconne composed by
Raison, but still not identical to the pattern Bach uses here. As previously stated, there may also have
been hints of the passacaglia from Dietrich Buxtehude. Bach set 20 variations on top of the 21 times the
bass pattern repeats. The fugue uses the same ground bass but the pattern is not always completed and
sometimes the ground bass pattern is split into two halves, which may show Bachs use of Raisons
passacaglia pattern.
4 and 5 : Through each variation, Bach takes his theme and places that theme 21 times throughout
the work, and places 20 variations on top of the original theme. There seems to be a pattern with the
variation playing in groups. The pattern seems to follow as such: 2-3-4-2-4-3-2 making a symmetrical
divide in the piece. This allows there to be a definite form as far as sections in the piece as each variation
plays off of another.
In variation 1, Bach starts this variation with the treble clef playing an eighth note tied over the
bar lines to a doted eighth noted into a sixteenth note into a quarter not followed by a quarter note rest on
beat 3. He does this again in the second variation but make the inner line have a more chromatic
descending line. Both of these variations have a large focus on the idea of ties over the bar line quite a bit,
which this becomes a motive that repeats in later variations.
Variation 3 starts an ascending line of eighth notes in the left hand while the right hand focuses
on a more descending eighth note line. Variation 4 continues the idea of ascension, now using a quarter
note, and two sixteenth notes pattern. Variation 5 keeps the line ascending in the hands but changes the
pattern a little bit by having a pattern on the sixteenth notes and the next eighth note where the notes
commonly in the three pattern will be middle note, low note, high note.
The next set of variations (6, 7, 8, and 9) focus primarily on flowing sixteenth notes. Variation 6
has major use of an ascending melodic minor scale throughout the variation. This variation also starts to
bring back the focus of ties that variations 1 and 2 focused a lot on. Variation 7 also uses more
alternations of the melodic and natural minor scale but this is the first variation where the pattern is
primarily descending. Variation 8 kind of combines these two and takes the melodic minor, and the
natural minor and now the occasional scalar variant (a bVII chord, in an inversion). Variation 9 kind of
backs off on the running lines but still keeps the line ascending like the other variations. The sixteenth
notes in this variation are more broken up between each line and in this variation, Bach uses more ties
over the bar line, much like the does in the previous section of variations.
Variation 10 and 11 change the way that the continuous line is seen. Previously it had only been
in the feet but now it moves to the right hand in the highest voice possible. Variation 10 still has the voice
in the feet but with a quarter note pattern rather than a half note to quarter note pattern. Bach then uses the
right hand to play an ascending and descending, arched line on top of that. Variation 11 uses this idea but
for the first time, we see the repeated pattern in the treble clef, and there are no feet being played at all.
This is a climax in the entire work that splits the two halves of the piece.
The next set of variations (12, 13, 14, and 15) start to gradually break up the bass pattern and mix
up where certain lines are played. Variation 12 keeps the repeated line in the treble clef but brings the feet
back. This variation uses a very interesting, and pleasant harmony change at the highest point of the
pattern. Variation 13 is the first variation where the melody begins to become a little more hidden in the
large number of sixteenth notes, but it is in the middle register. Variation 14 has the bass line in the
lowest notes, which in this section are in the left hand, however, the rhythm Bach uses are slightly
different than normal. Each measure, the first note of the repeated pattern is on the e of one and the
second notes of the measure remain on beat three. Variation 15 takes this even further but places the
repeated pattern again on the beats. However, the first note of the pattern is on beat one as the lowest note
and then the second note is on beat three in the middle registers.
Variations 16, 17 and 18 bring back the structured, ground bass and also bring back the ascending
line motive. Variation 16 automatically gains rhythmic structure again when the ground bass starts again.
The hands use some rather chromatic but great sounding patterns and this variation brings back the use of
ties. It is interesting to point out that the last 4 measures of the pattern, sit on the dominant in as the
highest note in the range. Variation 17 is probably the most noticeable variation as far as rhythm change
in concerned because of the sixteenth note triplets that are very apparent in this variation. Variation 18
brings back the eighth note and two sixteenth note pattern, once again in an ascending line but Bach once
again slightly changes the bass line to be a half note, eighth rest, and then the eighth note for the pattern.
The final two variations (19 and 20) bring the piece to a conclusion. Variation 19 starts a
contrasting sixteenth note pattern that focuses on neighbor tone sixteenth notes. Bach once again brings a
large number of ties into this variation. The final variation uses the same neighbor tone sixteenth notes but
adds even more notes to the patter in both the left hand and right hand and he ends the piece dramatically
with both feet and hands playing an incredible but difficult piece of music.















Sources:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/445625/passacaglia
http://www.laphil.com/philpedia/music/passacaglia-and-fugue-c-minor-johann-sebastian-bach
http://www.ipl.org/div/mushist/bar/bach.html