Nationality:
German
Born:
Nürnberg,
Baptized
September 1st
1653
Died:
Nürnberg,
March
3rd
1706
Type
of music: Organ music
Main
works: Canon
and Gigue in D major, Organ chorales, 6 suites for 2 violins
Pachelbel's
work today has gone largely forgotten, with the exception of a single
piece of music called 'Canon in D major'. However at the time he made
an enormous contribution to church music in protestant Germany, most
notably with his organ music.
He
began his career as an organist at St. Stephen's cathedral in Vienna
and in 1677 he attained the post of organist in the town of J.S.
Bach's birthplace, Eisenach. A year later he moved to the town of
Efurt and stayed there for 12 years as the organist of the church.
Here he met with the family of J.S. Bach and was teacher to his elder
brother, Johann Christoph. From 1684 he spent two years as the
organist in Stutgart then three years as the town organist in Gotha,
before moving back to his birthplace.
His
organ chorales are complex polyphonic pieces based on protestant
hymns and would influence J.S. Bach in his compositional career.
Other keyboard styles he worked in were toccatas, fantasias,
chaconnes and variations.
Hexachordum
apollinis is a group of 6 arias with variation for organ or
harpsichord, written in 1699. Pachelbel also wrote 6 suites for two 2
violins and keyboard, a set of 28 canonic variations, motets, sacred
concertos and 11 settings of the magnificat for chorus and
instrument.
"A
perfect and rare virtuoso”. - Daniel Eberlin
Spotify
link for the Classical Cafe playlist:
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