The passacaglia was originally a Spanish form (pasacalle) that acted as interlude music between a set of dances or songs. It was generally a simple, strummed chord progression that repeated. The simple chord progression remains in this G Minor Passacaglia, but the variations are draped in a passion that can't be taken too lightly!Halvorsen, an early 20th century Norwegian conductor and composer, borrowed and elaborated on Handel's Harpsichord Suite in G Minor, adapting it for violin and viola, heard here for violin and cello. The double stops played by both instruments throughout give the piece a rich sonority, sounding at times like a string quartet.In preparing this virtuosic masterpiece, Herine and I really wanted to explore the conversational aspects of the two lines, seeking to complete each other's sentences rather than interrupting with a fancier idea. A good lesson for life!-Andrew Williams (violin)
Classical Music | Ensemble Music
Johan Halvorsen
Passacaglia, after Handel’s Suite No.7 for Harpsichord Play
Recorded on 09/11/2013, uploaded on 04/11/2014
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
The passacaglia was originally a Spanish form (pasacalle) that acted as interlude music between a set of dances or songs. It was generally a simple, strummed chord progression that repeated. The simple chord progression remains in this G Minor Passacaglia, but the variations are draped in a passion that can't be taken too lightly! Halvorsen, an early 20th century Norwegian conductor and composer, borrowed and elaborated on Handel's Harpsichord Suite in G Minor, adapting it for violin and viola, heard here for violin and cello. The double stops played by both instruments throughout give the piece a rich sonority, sounding at times like a string quartet. In preparing this virtuosic masterpiece, Herine and I really wanted to explore the conversational aspects of the two lines, seeking to complete each other's sentences rather than interrupting with a fancier idea. A good lesson for life! -Andrew Williams (violin)
More music by Johan Halvorsen
Passacaglia, Duo for Violin and Cello (after Handel’s Suite No.7 for Harpsichord)
Passacaglia
Performances by same musician(s)
String Quartet No. 11 in f minor, Op. 95, Serioso
Flute Quartet No. 1 in D Major
Excerpts from The Catherine Wheel
Piano Quartet in E flat major, op. 47
Langsamer Satz
Trio in E-flat Major for Horn, Violin, and Piano Op. 40
Trio for Piano, Oboe, and Bassoon
Clarinet Trio, Op. 114
Crisantemi
String Quartet No. 9
Classical Music for the Internet Era™
Courtesy of International Music Foundation.