In a letter to his daughter Irmelin dated 19 December 1916, Nielsen, who was spending Christmas alone because of difficulties in his marriage with Anne Marie, wrote that he was composing a large Chaconne for piano.
The most enthusiastic praise came from Gustav Hetsch n Nationaltidende: "It held the audience’s attention the whole time with its many surprises, especially at the beginning, which we would like to have heard again in order to gain a better appreciation of the connections and details.
[1] On 11 February 1918, Christian Christiansen received an ovation when he played the piece during a concert of Nielsen's orchestral works.
Charles Kjerulf described the work as "a genuine Carl Nielsen piano-experiment... Everything is just calligraphy, lines and curves, but it’s the most attractive, neatest, old-fashioned ornamentation.
The 20 variations forming the composition's core have an extensive range, sometimes reflecting Bach's influence, but more often presenting highly complex contrasts.