Passacaglia - Homage on B-A-C-H (1993)

Ron Nelson (b.1929, Joliet, IL)

Ron Nelson received his bachelor of music degree in 1952, the masters degree in 1953, and
the doctor of musical arts degree in 1956, all from the Eastman School of Music at the
University of Rochester. He also studied in France at the Ecole Normale de Musique and
at the Paris Conservatory under a Fulbright Grant in 1955. Dr. Nelson joined the Brown
University faculty the following year, and taught there until his retirement in 1993. In
1993, Nelson made history by winning all three major wind band composition awards
the National Association Prize, the American Bandmasters Association Ostwald Prize, and
the Sudler International Prize. He was awarded the Medal of Honor of the John Philip
Sousa Foundation in Washington, D.C. in 1994. In 2006, he was awarded an honorary
doctorate from Oklahoma City University.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Duration: c. 10:30
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Ludwig Music Publishing
Cost: Score and Parts - $175.00 | Score Only - $25.00
THE COMPOSITION
Passacaglia (Homage on B-A-C-H) is a set of continuous variations in moderately slow triple meter built on an eightmeasure melody (basso ostinato) which is stated, in various registers, twenty-five times. It is a seamless series of
tableux which move from darkness to light.
Written in homage to J.S. Bach, it utilizes, as counterpoint throughout, the melodic motive represented by his name
in German nomenclature, i.e. B-flat, A, C, and B natural. Bach introduced this motive in his unfinished Art of the
Fugue, the textures of which are paraphrased (in an octatonic scale) in the fourth and fifth variations. The seventh
variation incorporates Gustave Nottebohms resolution (altered) of the unfinished final fugue of The Art of Fugue. The
famous melody from Bachs Passacaglia in C minor appears once (also altered) in variation nineteen.
Passacaglia (Homage on B-A-C-H) was commissioned by the Eta-Omicron Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, The
United States Air Force Band, and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Wind Studies
Department in celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the founding of The University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music.
Program note by Ron Nelson
The world premiere performance was presented by the United States Air Force Band under the direction of Col. Alan
Bonner in Corbett Auditorium at the University of Cincinnati on October 3, 1992 with the composer in attendance.
Passacaglia was awarded the 1992 NBA Awards, the 1993 ABA-Ostwald Award, and the 1993 Sudler Award.
The piece is written in strophic variation repeating a bass while varying the melodic line on every stanza. Another
popular example is the chaconne in the First Suite by Holst.

RECOMMENDED RECORDING:

Dallas Wind Symphony

Holidays & Epiphanies
Jerry Junkin, conductor

CCM Wind Symphony

Postcards
Eugene Corporon, conductor

OTHER WORKS FOR BAND:

Aspen Jubilee
Brevard Fanfare
Chaconne (In Memoriam)
Concerto for Piano & Symphonic Band
Courtly Airs and Dances
Danza Capriccio
Epiphanies (Fanfares and Chorales)
Fanfare for a Celebration
Fanfare for Kennedy Center
Fanfare for the Hour of Sunrise
Fanfare for the New Millennium
Lauds (Praise High Day)
Mayflower Overture
Medieval Suite
Homage to Leonin
Homage to Perotin
Homage to Machaut
Morning Alleluias
Nightsong
Passacaglia (Homage on B-A-C-H)
Pastorale: Autumn Rune
Pebble Beach Sojourn
Resonances I
Rocky Point Holiday
Savannah River Holiday
Sonoran Desert Holiday
Te Deum Laudamus
To the Airborne

INSTRUMENTATION
Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II-III (Flute III doubles Alto Flute)
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
Bb Soprano Clarinet I-II-III-IV-V-VI
Bb Soprano Clarinet VII-VIII-IX-X-XI-XII
Bb Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone I-II
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Trumpet (in Bb) I-II-III-IV-V-VI
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III-IV
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Piano
Synthesizer (simulating organ)
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:
Bass Drum
Bongos
Crotales
Cymbals (suspended) (2)
Glockenspiel
Gong (Tam-Tam)
Marimba
Slap Stick
Snare Drum
Temple Block
Tenor Drum
Tom-Tom
Tubular Bells
Vibraphone
Xylophone

MUSIC ELEMENTS

Octatonic scale
Many details in complex textures
Musical line must be audible against all moving parts
Orchestration is organ-like in scope and depth of sonority
Percussion is extensive
The right volume of the percussion is exactly at a level where you would miss the instrument if it
dropped out
Some passages should be mysterious, some beautiful, some revolting

MELODY
Octatonic01
Bachs Art of the Fugue is paraphrased
BACH motive used by Bach himself in Art of the Fugue
HARMONY
Bass sonority is also octatonic
The octatonic contains four occurences of all interval classes
Harmonic richness actualized the strong sense of tension and relase
RHYTHM
Macro rhythms tend to drag, quicker parts tend to rush
These require subdivisions
Ever-increasing rhythmic drive from the beginning to end
FORM AND STRUCTURE
SECTION
Introduction
Statement 1
Statement 2
Statement 3
Statement 4
Statement 5
Statement 6
Statement 7
Statement 8
Statement 9
Statement 10
Statement 11
Statement 12
Statement 13
Statement 14
Statement 15
Statement 16
Statement 17

MEASURE
1-9
10-17
18-25
26-33
34-41
42-49
50-57
58-65
66-73
74-81
82-89
90-97
98-105
106-113
114-121
122-129
130-137
138-144

EVENT/SCORING
BACH motive; monotonic motive
monotonic motive
trumpet interlocking BACH statements
inversion of above materials
Art of Fugue
BACH
BACH
Art of Fugue
animando un poco
variations on flute motive
ostinato over pedal (C tonic)
ostinato in upper range over pedal (F subdominant)
ostinato in bass
theme in horn, florid wind lines
theme in English horn Art of Fugue
Durchbrochene
continues fragments
Golden mean, theme in baritone, horn

Statement 18
Statement 19
Statement 20

145-153
154-161
162-169

Statement 21

170-177

Statement 22

178-185

Statement 23
Statement 24
Statement 25

186-193
194-201
202-209

Coda

210-222

BACH
Bachs theme in quint voicing
monotonic motive theme returns to horn
amorphous, almost directionless until the saxophones enter at 170
fragmented theme machine begins push to end
All other parts should hunker down in order to set up the horns @ 177. Be sure
the planting of this seed is not overlooked; it is the beginning of the end
theme in horn
things should be cooking here just under a boil
theme harmonized in low brass triads
theme in tutti brass triads
tutti brass triads cover C pedal
Chimes!!!!
BACH versus C pedals; open-fifth ending
hold nothing in reserve! It should just about demolish the set

SOURCES
Stone, Thomas. PassacagliaTeaching Music Through Performance in Band. Volume 7. Richard Miles, editor. Chicago:
GIA Publications, Inc., 2003. 870-877. Print.