Bach's Passacaglia

[Pachinko7]

... I have a much higher opinion of the Passacaglia than you do!

I highly doubt that...! The Passacaglia is on the top of my favourites' list !

[Peterboroughdiapason]

I highly doubt that...! The Passacaglia is on the top of my favourites' list !

Good! - even though 'with the exception of a few of the variations at the beginning and also at the end ........... all the variations are "disconnected" from each other, it almost seems to me like they could be shuffled.'

Seems like you think Bach just threw it together. Still, as I say, it would be a boring world if we all agreed on what makes a masterpiece!

[organduo]

Mirabilis,

Bach in his day was considered a "colorful" player. Why modern scholarship eschews color in this piece, I don't know.

Maybe it is that most modern organists have little imagination, or don't know how to use a combination action.

If any of Bach's organ pieces lends itself to terraced dynamics it is the Passacaglia. Besides it is much move interesting when you hear the motif's played in different registrations.

AV

I think registering the Passacaglia in Organo Pleno registration comes at least from one of the main sources of early 18th century - The Musical Guide by Friedrich Erhard Niedt: (Musicalische Handleitung) where he states that such registration is appropriate for Preludes, Fugues, Fantasias, Toccatas, Passacaglias, and other free works. Also Mattheson's treatises may have some similar indications.