Passacaglia (Webern) Explained

The Passacaglia for orchestra, Op. 1 is a 1908 musical composition by Anton Webern. It is in passacaglia form.[1] It was the first of his works to be published. It was also the last that Webern composed under the supervision of his teacher, Arnold Schoenberg.[2] Webern suggested that the work was related to the death of his mother, who had died in 1906.[3]

Instrumentation

The work is scored for an orchestra of: two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, cor anglais, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (cymbals, bass drum, triangle, tam-tam), harp, and strings.

Notes and References

  1. https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/2677/passacaglia-op-1 Passacaglia, Op. 1
  2. Susan Bradshaw: booklet notes to 'Webern: Opus 1-31', CBS Masterworks.
  3. Julian Johnson: 'Webern and the Transformation of Nature', p.87. Cambridge University Press, 1999.