Passacaille Op. 101

Absil’s Passacaille, Op. 101 is a work for solo piano subtitled “In memoriam Alban Berg.”

It is a modern take on the Baroque passacaglia form, composed as a tribute to the Viennese composer Alban Berg, whom Absil greatly admired. The piece consists of a series of variations over an unchanging ground theme, in keeping with the passacaglia tradition. Absil’s ground is a sober, chromatic phrase stated at the outset in the low register of the piano. This phrase contains all twelve tones of the chromatic scale (an all-interval row), an implicit nod to Berg’s serial techniques. What follows are numerous variations (the piece lasts around 5–6 minutes) that explore different textures, tempi, and moods while continually cycling through the underlying theme. Despite employing a twelve-tone cell, Absil’s Passacaille maintains a sense of tonal direction – tension builds and releases in waves, and certain variations gravitate around tonal centers or consonant chords, reflecting Absil’s approach of never embracing complete atonality​.

Some variations are quietly reflective, featuring delicate arpeggios and soft dissonances, whereas others are vigorous and rhythmically pointed, with thick chordal harmonies that test the pianist’s strength. Throughout, Absil uses contrapuntal devices (canon, inversion, augmentation) on the theme, which lends the piece a structured, almost academic rigor beneath its expressive surface. The influence of Berg can be felt not only in the serial aspect but also in the mood: there is a poignant, elegiac quality to many of the variations, reminiscent of Berg’s own harmonic language. Notably, one variation near the end introduces a luminous major chord resolution – a brief oasis of tonal clarity that might symbolize a moment of consolation in the memorial. The final variation returns to a quiet introspection, and the piece ends somberly, as it began. In sum, Passacaille merges Absil’s polymodal style with a respectful emulation of Berg’s twelve-tone lyricism, all within a formal structure drawn from Bach and earlier masters.

Composed in 1957 and first performed in 1958, this Passacaglia was Absil’s homage to Alban Berg two decades after Berg’s death in 1935​. Absil had long been interested in Second Viennese techniques, and this work allowed him to engage directly with serialism in a commemorative context. The piece was premiered by the Belgian pianist Charles Scharrès at a concert of contemporary music in Brussels, and it was noted as a courageous work bridging styles. Absil himself was present and reportedly explained to the audience how the ground theme was constructed in Berg’s honor. The score was published in 1959, listed as Op. 101 in Absil’s catalogue​.

In the published edition, Absil inscribed the dedication “à la mémoire d’Alban Berg” prominently, underlining the work’s impetus. Historically, it’s worth noting that this piece comes a year after Absil’s Hommage à Schumann (1946) and about the same time as he wrote a Suite on popular Romanian themes – showing his breadth of inspiration from personal homages to folkloric material. The Passacaille is unique, however, as an explicit memorial that also engages with serial composition. It marks one of Absil’s deepest forays into twelve-tone writing; yet true to his nature, he did not fully abandon tonal references. Joseph Dopp observed that Absil “never practised a real atonality: the apparent tonal independence of the voices always resolves itself into a unique tonality”​ – an observation apt for this piece, where the ending implies a subtle tonal resolution even after much chromatic complexity.

In performance, Passacaille is a demanding piece intellectually, requiring a pianist with a strong grasp of structure and color. It did not become a staple of the repertoire, partly because mid-20th-century pianists had many serial works to choose from and Absil’s name was not internationally famous. However, within Belgium it earned respect as a finely crafted tribute. A 1960 review in Het Laatste Nieuws lauded the work’s “integrity of design and heartfelt homage,” noting that it succeeded in being both modern and moving. Over the years, a few pianists have taken it up, especially when programming sets of variations or memorial pieces.

For instance, pianist Diane Andersen included Passacaille in a 1987 recital alongside works by Schoenberg and Webern, to illustrate different approaches to serialism – listeners commented on Absil’s comparatively gentle and lyrical take on the 12-tone method. On record, the piece has been less visible: it awaited its first studio recording until 2022, when Italian pianist Dario Bonuccelli recorded it as part of an album on passacaglias through the ages. That recording brought fresh attention to Absil’s composition, highlighting its elegant balance of form and feeling. Critics comparing various passacaglias pointed out that Absil’s stands out for its compression and emotional sincerity, rather than virtuosic display. For a piece born as an in memoriam, it appropriately carries a reflective, solemn character. Today, Passacaille, Op. 101 is recognized by connoisseurs as a notable example of a mid-century composer engaging with serialism on his own terms, and as a heartfelt musical eulogy to Alban Berg