Henry Purcell (1659 - 1695), was an English organist
and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music.
Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French
stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy
was a uniquely English form of Baroque music.
A chaconne (Italian: ciaccona) 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 (groun...(+)
Henry Purcell (1659 - 1695), was an English organist
and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music.
Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French
stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy
was a uniquely English form of Baroque music.
A chaconne (Italian: ciaccona) 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 (ground bass) which offered a
compositional outline for variation, decoration,
figuration and melodic invention. In this it closely
resembles the Passacaglia.
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 or a derivative pattern
thereof.
Although originally written for Flutes and Continuo, I
adapted this piece for 2 Violas & Concert (Pedal) Harp.