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Glite Dictionary
🎼 A music piece 💃 A slow dance
chaconne

chaconne

1 9.9
A musical piece of repeating chords with changing melody in slow triple time
  • noun
  • /ʃəˈkɒn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : chacona
  • The violinist performed the chaconne beautifully, captivating the audience with its intricate variations.
  • Bach's Chaconne
  • played the Chaconne

Examples

  • Who could harden his heart against the intimate drama of Mozart's G minor trio, or not lose himself in the Goldberg variations, or not stand in awe of the D minor Chaconne played on a lonesome violin?

    Blog text (4)

  • Well, it reminds me of the chaconne or passacaglia.

    A Song Is Born (1948)

  • Harmony begins with simple drone and ostinato patterns, proceeding to repetitive chord shifts and simple chord changes: I-V, I-IV-V, and the chaconne pattern.

    Academic text (1997)

  • During the concert, she chose to play a chaconne, showcasing her skill with its slow, flowing melody.

  • Many composers have written chaconnes that reflect the deep emotional resonance found in this musical form.

Surface Forms

chaconne singular
chaconnes plural

Etymology

Chaconne comes from the Spanish word chacona, which called a lively 'dance-song' that used a short repeated pattern. That's why a musical chaconne is built from many small changes or variations over the same short pattern — the music keeps the pattern while the ideas change.