The closing movement of Bach's Partita No. 2 for solo violin, a monumental set of variations over a repeating bass pattern. Multiple cello arrangements exist, transposing the work into a register and idiom the cello can sustain; none is canonical. Most cellists work from their own adaptation or a colleague's. The Chaconne on cello retains the violin original's architectural logic across some sixty-four variations, three movements in one, and has become a staple of solo cello recital programming despite not being written for the instrument.
Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor (arr. for cello) BWV 1004
cellobaroquechaconne~15 minvirtuoso
Difficulty
Technical
Professional
Double stops and chordal writing adapted into the cello's lower register.
Stamina
Demanding
Fifteen unbroken minutes; no breath.
Interpretive
Advanced
Sixty-four variations arguing with themselves across a single bass pattern.
Ensemble
n/a
Solo work.
Performer's notes
Structural landmarks
Chaconne
Interpretive schools
Editions
Schott
Transcription for solo cello by the Busch brothers' cellist. Playable in its original key with extensive double stops; a demanding but idiomatic reading.
Faber Music
Isserlis's own performing arrangement, transposed and lightly adapted for the cello's sonority. Printed with his fingerings and a short preface on the adaptation choices.
Recordings
Pedagogical arc
Prepare with
Natural next
External references