Buxtehude's Passacaglia

Buxtehude’s Passacaglia is a Baroque keyboard piece built on a repeating bass line—a steady, rhythmic foundation—that serves as the basis for intricate variations and elaborations. Starting with a simple, four-bar theme, the composer explores harmonic changes, embellishments, and expressive techniques over this repeated pattern. This creates a sense of unity and development within the piece. The Passacaglia showcases Buxtehude’s skill in transforming a basic motif into a rich, dynamic composition, highlighting the expressive potential of harmonic progression and virtuosic variation within a structured form.