Bach - Passacaglia in C minor BWV 582 - Smits | Netherlands Bach Society

In the Passacaglia in C minor, performed here by Reitze Smits for All of Bach, Bach’s genius is as clear as day. As a variation work, it surpasses anything Bach could have heard in his younger years. The ostinato, the repetitive bass line that forms the foundation of a passacaglia, is made up of eight bars, rather than the usual four. The work consists of twenty variations, rather than the usual five or six. And on top of its initial function, the bass line is then split up and treated as two separate themes that, accompanied by a third theme, form the material for an ingenious fugue. For more information on BWV 582 and credits of this production go to For the interview with organist Reitze Smits on the Passacaglia in C minor go to Recorded for the project All of Bach on November 29th 2013 at Lutheran Church, The Hague. If you want to help us complete All of Bach, please subscribe to our channel