Matthias Havinga: Passacaglia

This original program brings together composers from 4 centuries: from Kerll, Couperin, Buxtehude and the monumental Passacaglia in C minor by J.S. Bach, far into the 20-th century with Reger, Shostakovich and Jan Welmers. Consisting of variations framed in a constantly repeated basso ostinato, the passacaglia is a musical form with a long and fruitful history. This release is dedicated to eight such examples which, taken from four countries and all performed on the organ, divide either side of the year 1800 to reveal the form’s extensive and inventive development over time. The passacaglia was particularly popular during the 17th century, when it became known for its limited range of keys, slow triple meter and short, simple theme of two or four bars. While Couperin’s use of elaborate ornamentation and rondo structure equate to a typically French rendition of the form, the leaps in Buxtehude’s theme create bolder expression and are also prominent in J.S. Bach’s C minor Passacaglia – a summit in west