Lucerne Festival of Strings/ Rudolf Baumgartner

Johann Pachelbel was a German composer and organist. He was born September 3, 1653 in Nuremburg and also died there on March 1, 1706. While alive he studied music under the likes of Heinrich Schwemmer, G. C. Wecker, and Kaspar Prentz. In 1673 Pachelbel went to Vienna and became the deputy organist at St. Stephen's Cathedral. In 1677 he became the organist in Thuringen at the Eisenrach court, where he served for just slightly over a year. Eventually he became the organist at the Protestant Predigerkirche at Erfurt, where he established his reputation not only as an organist, but also as a composer, and teacher. Erfurt was, of course, the ancestral home of the Bach family, and there he met Ambrosius' eldest son, Johann Christoph. Pachelbel undertook the musical education of the young man who, not many years later, would teach his brother Johann Sebastian all he knew. Pachelbel started a family in

Pachelbel’s music is said to have pioneered symbolism by using certain scales and chords to represent particular moods. He is highly regarded for his use of chorale variation. But Pachelbel's importance is, in fact, perhaps greater as a composer for the organ. His chorale preludes, based on hymn tunes, strongly influenced J.S. Bach. He was also the author of a great many motets, arias and Masses, and 13 Magnificats which feature solo singers and a choir as well as an orchestra often including wind and brass (Hoasm).

This particular piece is an example of a Canon/Gigue, which actually came about earlier in the Baroque period. No one can be exactly sure of the date this piece was written but it appears to have been composed sometime in 1680. I could not find any information as to why or for who this piece was written so one can only guess. There was no vocalist for the piece as it was an instrumental arrangement (Mars). Everyone has heard Pachelbel’s canon at one time or another though they may not have realized it. It can be heard at almost all weddings

Some topics in this essay:
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