Origin and Context …show more content…
Holman states that it is likely the sonatas were written specifically for the purpose of catholic devotions. This is indicated through accompanying materials and seemingly explicit musical gestures that refer to events in the story. Each sonata is accompanied by an engraving depicting the relevant mystery (Figure 1), and the final passacaglia features an image of the guardian angel, who Chafe (1987) proposes symbolises a link to the spiritual world (Figure