Gaëlle Solal

Chaconnes and Passacailles are twin genres that originated in early seventeenth-century Spain. The distinctions between these two genres are subtle. They are both in three time, they use the form of theme and variations, and they often include an ostinato line (repetitive bass) which can itself be varied.
This programme is a selection of transcriptions by five German Baroque composers: two marvellous chaconnes for lute by Weiss, a rare Passacaglia for lute by Kellner, Handel's famous Pasacaglia for harpsichord, and Biber's mystical Passacaglia for violin, which undoubtedly inspired J.S. Bach's Chaconne for violin.

Silvius LEOPOLD WEISS (1687-1750)
Ciaccona, Suite VIII. Ciaccona, Suite X (transc. R. Chiesa) 

David KELLNER (1670-1748)
Chaconne in A (transc. G. Solal)

Georg Friedrich HAENDEL (1685-1759)
Passacaglia, Suite no.7 HWV 432 (transc. D. Russell)

Heinrich Ignaz Von BIBER (1644-1704)
Passacaglia, Rosary Sonatas (transc. G. Solal) 

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Partita no.2 BWV 1004 (transc. G. Solal) 
Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue, Chaconne

A more ‘sacred’ version of this programme is also possible, including two Bach chorales (see PDF below).