An Enrichment Web Page
by John Savage
Welcome!
This page is intended to share one of the finest works
of all time with those who are unaware of
J. S. Bach's majestic Ciaccona, for Solo Violin.
"The Ciaccona is for me one of the most wonderful, unfathomable pieces of music. On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagine that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind"
"An incomparable panoramic journey, through the emotions that define what it means to be human, the Ciaccona, wrought from a single, unaccompanied violin, is a work of art before which one should bow down in reverent awe."
"I remember the feeling of REVELATION in a recital . . . when, in the middle of playing the D minor partita I suddenly heard for the first time exactly what was going on harmonically in the Ciaccona: it was one of the great insights of my life."
What is the Ciaccona?
It is very likely the most philosophical piece of music you will ever experience. The performance starts with a somber phrase, slowly builds while taking on partial optimism. With little warning, it brings forth love of life in a blissful dance, only to slowly work its way to a serious burden. The piece continues with different levels of joy and struggle, but ultimately the fifteen minutes of virtuoso performance which transposes the sound of a single string instrument into a heartfelt panoramic journey.
Johann Sebastian Bach wrote three Sonatas and three Partitas (suites) for unaccompanied violin. Within the Second Partita (BWV 1004), the fifth and last movement is the Ciaccona, written in D minor.
The Ciaccona, like so many of Bach's works, is incredibly complicated. So much so, that it requires just as much effort in concentration by the listener, as by the performer! Please don't expect to experience the feelings from this music unless you are prepared mentally and are undisturbed. Is this too high of a price to pay just to listen to some music? I don't think so, because it is not just music that the listener experiences - it's all the emotions, insights, feelings from love to dispair and ultimately, personal triumph. Finally, because it is an instrumental work, it transcends all languages.
To learn more about this piece of music,
about Bach or the recording artist of today,
follow the links at the top or bottom of each page