Passacaglia
PASSACAGLIA, the name of an old Spanish dance, supposed to be derived from pasar, to walk, and callc, street, the tune being played by wandering musicians in the streets. It was a slow and rather solemn dance of one or two dancers. The dance tune resembled the " chaconne," and was, like it, constructed on a ground-bass. Brahms's Symphony in E Minor, No. 4, ends with an elaborate passacaglia.
Note - this article incorporates content from Encyclopaedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, (1910-1911)
