Bach at the Barre : An Annotated List of Choreographies Using J. S. Bach's Violin Ciaccona (Chaconne)

Abstract

Abstract: The finale of the Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor BWV 1004, to which Bach assigns the title "Ciaccona," has lived an independent life ever since its first important public performance in 1840. Since then it has become an iconic work (usually with the inauthentic title "Chaconne"). Moreover, Bach's Ciaccona has played an especially important role in the musical life of the United States. Both of these facts are reflected in the extraordinarily numerous choreographies—almost fifty in number and essentially all North American—employing this piece. The present article documents these works in the form of an annotated list, treating them in chronological order and providing brief descriptions of them. Additionally, there is an Appendix that orders the works alphabetically by choreographer. An introduction offers historical information about the ciaccona/chaconne tradition, how the understanding of Bach's Ciaccona changed over time, a brief précis of the history of dance in the United States in the twentieth century, and a summary of the extraordinary variety of approaches and styles represented by the choreographies.