passacaglia

Definitions

1. A form of historical Spanish or Italian dance characterised by a serious nature, triple meter, and use of a ground bass.
   countable, uncountable
2. Any piece of classical music with similar characteristics.
   broadly, countable, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“In classical music there are, as the analytical programs tell⟳ us, first subjects and second subjects, free fantasias, recapitulations, and codas; there are fugues, with counter-subjects, strettos, and pedal points; there are passacaglias on ground basses, canons ad hypodiapente, and other ingenuities, which have⟳, after all, stood or fallen by their prettiness as much as the simplest folk-tune.”

CEFR level