passacaglia

Valid in Scrabble

Pronunciation

/ˌpasəˈkɑːlɪ.ə/ (UK)

See all 2 pronunciations

/ˌpasəˈkɑːlɪ.ə/ (UK) · /ˌpɑsəˈkɑljə/ (US)

Definition of passacaglia

2 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

noun

(countable, uncountable)A form of historical Spanish or Italian dance characterised by a serious nature, triple meter, and use of a ground bass.

“In classical music there are, as the analytical programs tell us, first subjects and second subjects, free fantasias, recapitulations, and codas; there are fugues, with counter-subjects, strettos, and pedal points; there are passacaglias on ground basses, canons ad hypodiapente, and other ingenuities, which have, after all, stood or fallen by their prettiness as much as the simplest folk-tune.”

See all 2 definitions

noun

(countable, uncountable)A form of historical Spanish or Italian dance characterised by a serious nature, triple meter, and use of a ground bass.

“In classical music there are, as the analytical programs tell us, first subjects and second subjects, free fantasias, recapitulations, and codas; there are fugues, with counter-subjects, strettos, and pedal points; there are passacaglias on ground basses, canons ad hypodiapente, and other ingenuities, which have, after all, stood or fallen by their prettiness as much as the simplest folk-tune.”
(broadly, countable, uncountable)Any piece of classical music with similar characteristics.

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Borrowed from Italian passacaglia, from Spanish pasacalle, from pasar (“to pass”) + calle (“street”).

188 playable · top: ALPACAS (11 pts)

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