Ciaccona

Written in Iceland, Ciaccona draws inspiration from Iceland’s fiery, ice-filled landscapes – evident particularly in its episode displaying flageolets – as well as from Iceland’s legendary hidden inhabitants, the Huldufólk (elves).

As befits a chaconne, Ciaccona is built upon a ground bass. After being distinctly present initially, however, the ground bass of Ciaccona passes into imperceptibility. It returns to offer a glimpse of itself, well disguised, in the extroverted, drivingly motoric central section, but becomes unambiguously present again only during the final two minutes of the work, which closes with a gentle, extended drift and a quiet echo of the motoric central section.

Ciaccona was commissioned in 2002 by the Baroque music violinist and pedagogue, Chiara Banchini.

The piece was written for Baroque violin, but it can also be performed on a conventional modern-day violin.