Händel, Georg Friedrich : Suite Chaconne with 49 Variations HWV 443
Work Overview
Genre:chaconne
Total Playing Time:13 min 30 sec
Copyright:Public Domain
Commentary (1)
Author : Ooi, Kazurou
Last Updated: September 16, 2024
[Open]
Author : Ooi, Kazurou
This is a colossal set of variations, extending to Var. 50. A characteristic feature of Handel's variations is that the tension tends to build as the piece progresses; however, with such a large number of variations, maintaining this can be quite challenging. Var. 30 and Var. 36 serve as points of repose. Here, the tension is reset, and the build-up resumes from these points.
Furthermore, it is generally conventional for the tempo in variations to remain consistent from beginning to end, unless otherwise specified. However, the author feels that some degree of tempo fluctuation may be necessary to maintain tension.
For instance, Var. 47 introduces 32nd notes, and it might be unavoidable for the tempo to drop slightly here. However, if the tempo of Var. 47 is carried over to Var. 48, Var. 48 will feel extremely slow, and the tension built up until that point will be abruptly lost. It is recommended to increase the tempo for both Var. 48 and Var. 49, maintaining the tension, before entering measure 401.