passacaglia

American  

[pah-suh-kahl-yuh, pas-uh-kal-] / ˌpɑ səˈkɑl yə, ˌpæs əˈkæl- /

noun

1. a slow, dignified dance of Spanish origin.

2. the music for this dance, based on an ostinato figure.

3. a musical form based on continuous variations over a ground bass.

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passacaglia British  

/ ˌpæsəˈkɑːljə /

noun

1. an old Spanish dance in slow triple time

2. a slow instrumental piece characterized by a series of variations on a particular theme played over a repeated bass part See also chaconne

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Etymology

Origin of passacaglia

1650–60; pseudo-Italian spelling of earlier passacalle < Spanish pasacalle literally, step (i.e., dance) in the street ( pasa 3rd-person singular present of pasar to step, pace ¹ + calle street < Latin callem, accusative of callis path)

Example Sentences

The first part of “Partita” that I wrote, which was “Passacaglia” — I wanted to hear the sound of a bunch of voices just kind of chatting gutturally, going into vocal fry and then suddenly exploding into a chord that feels like that, feels like one of those Byrd or Tallis, perfectly voiced chords, just the resonance of it.

From New York Times

It opens with a character piece, a murkily colored Nocturne that lives in the Upside Down of Chopin’s genre-defining works for piano, and reaches a climax in a Baroque-derived Passacaglia, at once august and austere, that leads into a fiendish five-minute cadenza for the soloist.

From New York Times

Noseda fitfully ratcheted up the intensity of the Passacaglia with its implacable 17-bar pattern.

From New York Times

And the passacaglia of the third movement progressed with persuasive momentum.

From New York Times

“Nature Resounds”: Family concert, including Tan Dun’s “Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds,” with Sunny Xia conducting the Seattle Symphony; 11 a.m.

From Seattle Times