Composer

:

Johan Halvorsen

Genre

:

Chamber

Style

:

Sarabande

Compose Date

:

1897

Average_duration

:

7:22

Johan Halvorsen's "Passacaglia and Sarabande with Variations in G major (after Handel)" is a composition for violin and viola that was composed in 1894. The piece is based on two Baroque dance forms, the passacaglia and the sarabande, and is a set of variations on a theme by George Frideric Handel. The piece was premiered in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway, in 1897, with Halvorsen himself playing the violin and his friend and colleague, the violist Lionel Tertis, playing the viola. The work was an immediate success and has since become one of Halvorsen's most popular compositions. The piece is divided into two movements, the passacaglia and the sarabande, each of which is followed by a set of variations. The passacaglia is a slow, stately dance in triple meter, characterized by a repeating bass line or "ground" that serves as the foundation for the variations that follow. Halvorsen's passacaglia is based on a theme from Handel's Harpsichord Suite No. 7 in G minor, HWV 432. The sarabande, by contrast, is a slower dance in triple meter that is characterized by its expressive, melancholy character. Halvorsen's sarabande is based on a theme from Handel's Suite No. 4 in D minor, HWV 437. The variations that follow each movement are virtuosic and inventive, showcasing the technical and expressive capabilities of the violin and viola. Halvorsen's variations range from playful and light-hearted to intense and dramatic, and he employs a variety of techniques, including double stops, harmonics, and pizzicato, to create a rich and varied sound world. Overall, Halvorsen's "Passacaglia and Sarabande with Variations in G major (after Handel)" is a masterful example of the art of variation, combining the elegance and refinement of the Baroque dance forms with the virtuosity and expressiveness of the Romantic era.

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