# Passacaglia for certain solo instruments - how?



## elgar's ghost

I recently listened to Britten's third suite for solo cello, which ends with a substantial passacaglia. Now, I know what a passacaglia more or less is, but as a non-musician what I can't understand is this - as the passacaglia requires a bass pattern and the variations to play with/over it, how can a solo instrument such as the cello provide both at the same time with just the one action?


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## tdc

By continuing to develop the theme in different registers, by using double stops and implied counterpoint. In a passacaglia the bass line is generally played slowly allowing time to access other notes in between. Other earlier examples include Biber's passacaglia for solo violin and Bach's chaconne. A chaconne and passacaglia are essentially the same thing.


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## elgar's ghost

Thank you, tdc - from a layman's perspective it's always good to have something like that explained clearly.


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