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Dietrich Buxtehude › BuxWV 160

Chaconne in E minor

BuxWV 160 · E minor · c. 1690 · first pub. 1875-76 · Orgel

DänemarkZweite Hälfte 17. JahrhundertOrgelmusik

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Scores

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How to play

Registration
Begin with Gedackt 8' + Principal 4'; add Sesquialtera or Cornet for variations exposing the soprano line; full chorus at the climax. Pedal: 16'+8' throughout.
Tempo
A little slower than the C-minor sister chaconne; the harmonic motion is denser and the figuration more chromatic.
Articulation
More legato than BuxWV 159 — the affect is darker and more inward.
Ornamentation
Discreet — chromaticism is itself the affect; avoid piling decoration on top.

Historical context

The E-minor Chaconne shares the ostinato-variation form with BuxWV 159 but turns inward. Where the C-minor work is rhetorical and progressive, this one is contemplative and harmonically searching. The pair is often programmed together.

Structure

1 chaconne

Further reading