Title
Passacaglia
For
piano
Year Composed
1921–22
ARCO Number(s)
5
Category
Piano Solo
Duration
7'
Premiere
  • World: Paris, January, 1923 (Daniel Ericourt)
Dedication
À Mademoiselle Nadia Boulanger
Publisher
Boosey & Hawkes
Publishing Status
Published
Arrangements
Passacaglia (for organ) (arr. John Fesperman)
Buying Options
Boosey & Hawkes
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  • Responding to Nadia Boulanger's insistence that her students master traditional forms, Copland built this Passacaglia with an eight-bar theme and eight variations, the last two of which reach a big climax. He wrote, "The work appeared cold to some critics when it was first heard, but Mademoiselle recognized the underlying emotion in it right away. The Passacaglia is dedicated to her."

    Author
    Vivian Perlis
    Year
    1998
  • Please note that while Boosey & Hawkes controls and publishes this work in the United States, Passacaglia is controlled by Salabert for the rest of the world.