chaconne explained
A set of continuous variations over a repeating harmonic progression, closely related to the passacaglia
In Depth
The chaconne and passacaglia are often used interchangeably, though some theorists distinguish them: the passacaglia varies over a fixed bass line while the chaconne varies over a fixed chord progression. Bach's Chaconne in D minor for solo violin, the final movement of his Partita No. 2, is widely regarded as one of the greatest compositions for any solo instrument. Its 256 bars build from simple dance rhythms to towering polyphonic complexity and back, spanning a vast emotional arc.
Brahms wrote of Bach's Chaconne: On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings.