Walter tells us in his "Lexicon" (1732) that a passacallia would be basically a chaconne: "Passacaglio [... other forms of the name] ist eigentlich eine Chaconne. Der ganze Unterschied bestehet darinn, daß sie ordinairement langsamer als die Chaconne gehet, die Melodie matthertziger (zärtlicher), und die Expression nocht so bebhafft ist; und deswegen werden die Passecaillen fast allezeit in den Modis minoribus, d.i. in solchen Tönen gesetzt, die eine weiche Tertz haben. [...] Nach dem Dicttionaire Etymologique de Ménage ist es eigentlich ein spanischer Terminus, der sint der Zeit die Opern in Franckreich aufgekommen, in die Frantzösische Sprache eingeführet worden ist, und so viel als Passe-rué, einen Gassenhauer, ein Gassen-Lied bedeutet."
So Walter says the difference would be it's mainly in minor keys, slower as a chaconne, not so lively, more tender than a chaconne. He refers to a dictionary telling the word of spanish origin which was used in th efrench language in the sense of a popular song. The ciacona would be basically dance music: "Ciacona (it.) Chaconne (gall.) ist eigentlich ein Tantz, und eine Instrumental-piéce, deren Bass-Subjectum oder thema gemeiniglich aus vier Tacten bestehet, und, so lange die darüber gesetzte Variationes oder Couplets währen, immer obligat, d.i. unverändert bleibet. (Es kan aber auch das Bass-Subjectum selbst diminuieret und verändert, allein den Tacten nach nicht verlängert werden, so daß z:e. an statt voriger vier Tacte, in der Veränderung 5 oder 6 daraus gemacht würden.) [...] Übrigens kommt Ciaconna weder vom italiänischer Verbo:ciaccare oder Ciaccherare, so zerschmettern, zerscheitern, noch von cieco, welches blind heisset, oder anders woher; sondern ist ein Mohrisches Wort, und ein aus Africa nach Spanien und von dar in andere Nationen gekommener Tantz [...]" He tells it a bass-theme which would always be of 4 bars. The word would not be of italian origin (not meaning "blind" nor "shatter") but from Africa (not quoted - he further speculates about a persian origin of the word) . Best Thomas Am Samstag, 11. Dezember 2004 00:50 schrieb Alain Veylit: > Hi all, > -S�bastien de Brossard (died 1730), gives the following definition for a > chacone in his Musical dictionary: > Chacone: A kind of dance in the air of a saraband, derived from the Moors. > The bass always consists of 4 notes, which proceed in conjoint degrees, > wherin they make divers concords and copulets with the same burden. > The word is formed of the Italian ciacona or cecone, a blind man, this air > being said to have been invented by such a one. > > His definition of the passacaglio: > A passacaglio is properly no more than a chacone. The only difference > between them is that the movement of this is somewhat graver, the tune > softer, and the expression less lively: they are for the most part in the > less modes or flat keys; wherin the third from its final is flat. > > This seems to fits the difference between Bach's passacaglia in C for organ > and his chacone from the D-minor suite for violin at least in the > difference of tempo and mood. I suppose "less modes or flat keys" are what > we call minor modes today... > > De Brossart alludes to the syncopation, but only in the article on > sarabande, saying: it is a dance ..that usually ends when the hands that > beats rises. > > Isn't there an italian word like "caccia" meaning "chase" or hunt? > Alain > > At 11:41 AM 12/10/2004, you wrote: > > >>=20 > > >> How come "pas de passacalle" is in Feuillet's Choregraphie from 1713? > > > >Evidently by that time the French had created a dance for it, possibly an= > > outgrowth of its use in stage and/or chamber music: > > > >"In France the Hispanic-Italian passacaglia, like the chaconne, was= > > transformed during the mid-17th century into a distinctive native > > genre,= although before that the genre had already had some impact as an > > exotic= Spanish import. A passacalle(in the earlier sense of ritornello) > > occurs in= an air to a Spanish text by De Bailly (1614), and in 1623 the > > Spanish= expatriate Luis de Bri=E7e=F1o published in Paris a guitar > > method that= included in chord tablature brief chaconnes and passacaglias > > similar to the= early Italian examples. During the 1640s the promotion of > > Italian music and= musicians by Cardinal Mazarin brought wider > > familiarity with the two genres= in their newer incarnations. A > > harpsichord passacaglia by Luigi Rossi (who= visited Paris in 1646 and > > whose Orfeo was performed there the following= year) enjoyed wide > > manuscript circulation. Francesco Corbetta, who settled= in Paris around > > 1648 and became guitar teacher to the future Louis XIV, was= perhaps the > > greatest Italian guitar virtuoso of his time, and the composer= of > > numerous chaconnes and passacaglias. > > > >By the late 1650s the French passacaglia tradition was firmly in place,= > > already showing many of the characteristics that would mark the genre= > > during the later 17th century and the 18th. Like the chaconne, the= > > passacaglia was cultivated both in chamber music, especially by > > guitarists,= lutenists and keyboard players, and on the musical stage." > > (New Grove) > > > >This page from Kellom Tomlinson's dance treatise shows the steps for a= > > passacaille. the accompanying music is not the bass line but a melody. > >Caroline > >http://www.bllearning.co.uk/live-extracts/108337/=20 > >********************************* > >Caroline Usher, DCMB Administrative Coordinator > >613-8155, Box 91000 > > > >-- > > > >To get on or off this list see list information at > >http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- Thomas Schall Niederhofheimer Weg 3 D-65843 Sulzbach 06196/74519 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
