Passacaglia (BWV 582)

Passacaglia: 0:01
Fugue: 8:07

Returning to my series of Bach's major works A-G, we are finally done with C minor!

One of the most beloved and imposing of all pipe organ works, Bach's Passacaglia in C Minor (BWV 582), consists of both a passacaglia and a fugue based on the opening theme. It was written while Bach was only in his 20s, during his years in Arnstadt or Mühlhausen.

No autograph manuscript by Bach survives. The earliest sources are mid-18th century copies by Bach’s pupils and followers when the work was not widely known. It was not until the 19th century that the Passacaglia was "rediscovered" in the Bach revival and promoted by composer/performers such as Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann.

From the 20th century onward, the Passacaglia has remained one of the most frequently performed and beloved of all organ works. Leopold Stokowski, Ottorino Respighi, and others made orchestral transcriptions, which helped spread its fame outside organ circles.

In a passacaglia, the theme is first stated in the bass and then repeated continuously with diverse variations interacting around it. Prior to the birth of Bach's Passacaglia in C minor, it was common for the theme to be four measures in length. In this work, Bach doubles that length to eight measures, and the theme appears at times decorated or ascending in register.

After the first 20 variations, Bach re-introduces the first half of the theme in the form of a four-part fugue (often considered the 21st variation). This ingenious fugue equals the preceding passacaglia in both duration and drama.