Bach/Busoni: Chaconne in D minor (Gillham)

This mighty transcription is, in its core, in variation form: the opening chorale (which itself is divided in two groups of four bars) serves as the foundation upon which 39 individual variations are built. The variations techniques deployed by Bach make for a very rich melodic development, which can often be perceived as new melodies altogether. Busoni adds another layer by incorporating variations of timbre and genre (as varied as hymns and chorales, recitativos, toccatas, and full-fledged cadenzas).
Busoni's craft also gives rise to a reading of the Chaconne on a macroscopic level. Three main sections naturally emerge: the two outer sections in D minor, and the inner section in D major. Each one of them also features its own sub-structure: the first section is in quasi-sonata form, while the two other sections follow a symmetrical binary form (à la Scarlatti).
To quote Marina Fabrikant (who proposed this particular analysis), this piece is essentially "a tripartite form in a variation setting".

Gillham's performance achieves a perfect balance between the different levels of structural organization, underlining the variation form throughout the piece thanks to a keen sense of pulse, without sacrificing the great scale narrative. This ebb and flow allows the energy to build up and disperse naturally.
Another feat of this recording is Gillham's ability to reach impossibly large chords (see 12:55).

00:00 Intro

PART 1: quasi-sonata (D minor)
"Exposition"
00:13 Theme
00:41 Var.1
01:08 Var.2
01:37 Var.3
02:04 Var.4
"Development"
02:29 Var.5
02:46 Var.6
03:03 Var.7
03:20 Var.8
03:41 Var.9
04:00 Var.10
04:14 Var.11
04:44 Var.12
04:54 Var.13
"Recapitulation"
05:03 Var.14
05:13 Var.15
05:23 Var.16
05:33 Var.17
05:52 Var.18
06:15 Var.19
06:26 Var.20

PART 2: symmetrical binary (D major)
Section A
06:56 Var.21
07:29 Var.22
07:59 Var.23
08:08 Var.24
08:28 Var.25
08:46 Var.26
Section B
09:05 Var.27
09:24 Var.28
09:45 Var.29
10:10 Var.30

PART 3: symmetrical binary (D minor)
Section A
10:35 Var.31
11:09 Var.32
11:36 Var.33
11:51 Var.34
Section B
12:07 Var.35
12:21 Var.36
12:35 Var.37
12:44 Var.38
12:55 Var.39

The Piano Arrangements and Transcriptions playlist:    • Piano Arrangements and Transcriptions