This is a fragment of my Masterarbeit to obtain the degree of Master of Music. At the end you can listen to my version of the Ciaconna, recorded during my graduation concert.
“Other than the popular Spanish ciaccona, BWV 1004 is a semi-religious work, and has to be understood within the religious context. The lyrics behind the choral melodies quoted by Bach are proof that he found consolation in his faith and his music while grieving his first wife Maria Barbara Bach.”
Eva Beneke
Bach wrote his only ciaccona to close the second violin partita, which was composed between 1717 and 1720. The partitas are composed in the form of a “Sonata da Camera”, grouping several dances.
According to a poem by Lope de Vega, the Chacona came from «Las Indias», which is why it is believed that it originated in Latin America at the beginning of the 17th century. Lope and other writers such as Joseph de Valdivielso and de la Cerca point to its sexual and seductive character. Musically it is characterized by a basso ostinato, on which various improvisational variations are played. The genre became popular in Italy after the Spanish king traveled to Naples. The first Ciaccona was published in Florence. Over the years composers began to write ciaccones for solo instruments or ensembles. According to a poem by Lope de Vega, the Chacona came «from India,» which is why it is believed to have originated in Latin America in the early 17th century. Lope and other writers such as Joseph de Valdivielso and de la Cerca point out its sexual and seductive character. Musically, it is characterized by a basso ostinato on which various variations are improvised. The genre became popular in Italy after the Spanish king traveled to Naples. The first Ciaccona was published in Florence. Over the years, composers began to write ciacconas for various solo instruments or ensembles. In France it acquired characteristics such as double dotting, modulation and breaks in the length of the phrase, resulting in a somewhat more “free” style, but at a slower tempo than the Spanish or Italian chaconas. In Germany, composers combined Italian and French styles.
Bach compiles all these influences in his Ciaccona. He adopted the minor-major-minor modulation and double dotting from the French style. In addition to the use of the Italian name (Ciaconna), the style of the beginning is similar to an Italian passacaglia. The Basso Ostinato at the beginning of the piece is very similar to the Spanish Chacona basses.
Bach is said to have written Ciaccona as a posthumous homage to Maria Barbara Bach, his first wife. This theory was supported by Helga Thoene in her book “Johann Sebastian Bach – Ciaccona – Tanz oder Tombeau? Eine analytische Studie, ”presented in 2001. Thoene claims that Bach quoted a number of chorales relating to death and resurrection in Ciaccona, making it a kind of «wordless chorale». Although this theory has been questioned by some researchers, others have found evidence of this technique in other Bach instrumental works. One example is Suite n ° 2 for Lute BWV 997, in which guitarist Eduardo Fernandez found quotations from “Jesu meine Freude”. The same applies to the Prelude, Fugue and Allegro (BWV 998), in which Bach quotes various chorales in order to form an allegory of the Christian belief in the Trinity. (Eduardo Fernández, Anne Leahy).
Below is a list of the chorales that Bach quoted in the Ciaccona according to Thoene’s work.
First Section (D minor)
- Christ lag in Todesbanden (BWV 4)
- Dein Will’ gescheh, Herr Gott, zugleich (also used by Bach in St. John Passion BWV 245).
- Befiehl du deine Wege (also used in St. Matthew Passion BWV 244)
- Wo soll ich fliehen hin (BWV 5)
- Auf meinen lieben Gott (BWV 188)
- Jesu meine Freude (BWV 227)
- Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir (BWV 38)
Second Section (D major)
- Vom Himmel hoch (also used in Bach’s Magnificat BWV 243a and in the Christmas Oratorio BWV 248)
- Wie soll ich dich empfangen (also used in St. Matthew Passion BWV 244)
- Befiehl du deine Wege (also used in the Christmas Oratorio BWV 248)
- Jesu, deine Passion (used in St. John and St. Matthew Passions)
- In meines Herzens Grunde (also used in St. John Passion BWV 245)
Third section (D minor)
- Nun lob mein Seel den Herren (used multiple times by Bach in various works).
- Dein Will’ gescheh, Herr Gott, zugleich
- Vom Himmel hoch
- Christ lag in Todesbanden
If we adopt this theory, the work takes on a much deeper meaning than originally assumed, as it would be a reflection on Bach’s life, death and relationship with God and would also be a search for consolation for the loss of a loved one. From his pain, Bach would understand the suffering of Christ during his death and through him give meaning to his own pain. So he understands death as part of life and is comforted to know that there is something in the «hereafter».