Tracing the Handel/Halvorsen Passacaglia
Uncovering the music history behind a new favorite.
Recently, a contemporary arrangement of a piece (or, two pieces, as we will learn) entitled Passacaglia has been getting a lot of attention in online piano circles. I was curious to learn more about the history behind this piece to better understand what it is and where it came from.
I instantly liked this piece on my first listen, especially the elegant use of sequence that comprises most of the song. I was curious to know which piece it was an arrangement of as I had never heard it before, even though it is credited to both Handel, a very well known Baroque era composer. Also credited is Halvorsen, a new composer to me.
Definition
Passacaglia is a term for a piece of music that:
is serious in tone
has an ostinato (repeating) bass progression
is typically in a triple meter — meaning each “big beat” is comprised of three equal “little beats”
The word itself comes from Spanish pasar — to pass — and calle — street: referring to music being played as an interlude between other pieces.
History
The history behind this form is not quite clear. Like many classical music forms, the passacaglia originated as a courtly dance. Despite its Spanish etymology, the first extant source is from 17th c. Italy. It was widely used across Europe in the Baroque era, roughly 1600-1750, although modern composers have made use of it as well!
Many composers utilized passacaglia as a template for composition. Listening to these examples, the composer always clearly states the ostinato bass first before adding other musical themes:
Purcell — When I am Laid in Earth (0:47; circa 1685)
Bach — Passacaglia & Fugue (circa 1710)
Britten — IV. Sea Interludes (from Peter Grimes) (1943)
Handel’s Passacaglia
Portrait of GF Handel
George Frideric Handel published 8 Great Suites in 1720. No. 7, in G minor, features the Passacaglia which is the starting point of our journey. This suite was intended for keyboard instruments, like harpsichord or organ.
The piece is energetic but serious. The ostinato bass is a progression of 5ths:
Gm -> Cm -> F -> Bb -> Eb -> A° -> D7 -> Gm
Diatonically:
i -> iv -> bVII -> III -> bVI -> ii° -> V7 -> i
But can also be heard as a series of V -> I chord pairs rounded out by a ii° -> V7 -> I cadence:
i -> V/F -> V/Bb -> V/Eb -> bVI -> ii° -> V7 -> i
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Handel crafts contrasting variations on his initial theme to keep the music engaging. Melody is passed between Left and Right hands between movements, with noticeably contrasting dynamics.
Halvorsen’s Passacaglia
Black and white photo of Johann Halvorsen
Norwegian Composer Johan Halvorsen took Handel’s Passacaglia and translated it to a Theme & Variations for violin & viola duet in 1893. He takes the already exciting theme to more virtuosic extremes, explores different textures (number of “voices”) and makes use of pizzicato technique. The theme is still readily identifiable throughout the entire piece, but never bores the listener.
Itzhak Perlman & Pinchas Zukerman perform in 1997.
Kuri’s Passacaglia
On May 1st, 2012, Belgian content creator Pianistos (Ratmir Kuri) posted an arrangement of the Passacaglia on Youtube. As of August 25th, 2025, the video has 1.9 million views.
Kuri has not provided any information on his creative process, simply stating:
“This is my simple but beautiful arrangement of Passacaglia! Hope you'll it.”
Kuri credits both Handel and Halvorsen, so he obviously is aware of both pieces, and specifically takes a variation of the Halvorsen theme (timestamp 2:47) and expands it further to create an entirely new arrangement. Kuri retains the chord progression but transposes the piece into A Minor.
I wonder if he realized he would be adding to the legacy of this piece in such a significant way!
Overview & Final Thoughts
1720 - Handel publishes 8 Great Suites for Keyboard
No. 7 is the “Passacaglia in G minor”, theme with 15 variations
Theme from Handel’s “Passacaglia in G minor” (no. 7)
1892 - Halovrsen publishes “Passacaglia and Sarabande with variations on a theme by Handel”
Writes 12 variations on the theme
Variation from Halvorsen’s Passacaglia and Sarabande with variations on a theme by Handel
2012 - Ratmir Kuri posts Passacaglia - Handel Halvorsen (Piano Cover)
Kuri takes a variation from Halvorsen as his “theme” and varies it further, creating a theme with three variations (if you don’t count octave transpositions as variations).
Theme from Kuri’s Passacaglia
The history of these pieces is so fascinating to me! Three composers across roughly 300 years took one theme, making a total of made 30 variations, resulting in three completely separate and unique pieces.
Thank you for reading!
