"Passacaglia" for piano was composed by Aaron Copland during his student days with Nadia Boulanger in Paris in the early 1920's. The work is dedicated to Mlle. Boulanger. In its eight variations on an eight measure theme in G-sharp, there is an emphasis on architectural structure which reflects Boulanger's insistence on disciplined writing. "Passacaglia" is one of the earliest works to demonstrate traits of the composer's mature style.