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Intro

Pachelbel's Canon in D 

is the most famous piece of music by

German Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel. It was originally

scored for three iolins and basso continuo and paired with agigue in the same !ey. "i!e most other wor!s by Pachelbel and

other pre#$%&& composers the Canon remained forgotten for

centuries and was rediscoered only in the (&th century. )eeral

decades after it was *rst published in $+$+ the piece became

e,tremely popular and today it is frequently played at weddings

and included on classical music compilations along with other

famous Baroque pieces such as Air on the G String by Johann

)ebastian Bach.

History

-lthough Pachelbel was renowned in his lifetime for his chamber

wor!s contemporary sources praise his serenades and sonatas/

most of them were lost. 0nly Musikalische Ergötzung a collection

of partitas published during Pachelbel's lifetime is !nown and a

few isolated pieces in manuscripts. Canon and Gigue in D major  is

one of such pieces. - single manuscript copy of it suries

1us.1) $234$ in the Berlin )tate "ibrary which contains two

more chamber suites5 another copy preiously !ept in

6ochschule der 78nste in Berlin is now lost. 9he circumstances of 

the piece's composition are wholly un!nown. 0ne writer

hypothesi:ed that the Canon may hae been composed for

 Johann Christoph Bach's wedding on (; 0ctober $2+3 which

Pachelbel attended. 9he music for the occasion was proided by

 Johann -mbrosius Bach Pachelbel and other friends and family

members. Johann Christoph Bach the oldest brother of Johann

)ebastian Bach was a former pupil of Pachelbel.

 9he Canon without the accompanying gigue/ was *rst published

in $+$+ by scholar Gusta Bec!mann who included the score in

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his article on Pachelbel's chamber music. 6is research was

inspired and supported by renowned early music scholar and

editor 1a, )ei<ert who in $+(+ published his arrangement of

Canon and Gigue in his 0rganum series. 6oweer that edition

contained numerous articulation mar!s and dynamics not found inthe original score5 furthermore )ei<ert proided tempi which he

considered right for the piece but which were not supported by

later research. 9he Canon was *rst recorded in $+3& by -rthur

=iedler and the *rst famous recording of the piece was made by

the Jean#=ran>ois Paillard chamber orchestra.

0er the years the Canon has been arranged numerous times for

a wide ariety of ensembles. - non#original iola pi::icato part is

also commonly added in a string orchestra or quartet setting/

when a harpsichord or organ player is not used to improise

harmonies oer the bass line. 9he Canon's chord progression is

used in many pop and roc! songs but it is debatable whether it

was deliberately used because I #?#i#iii#I?#I#ii#? is a ery common

progression. =or e,ample the piano brea! composed by George

1artin for the "ennon@1cCartney song AIn 1y "ifeA from 9he

Beatles album Rubber Soul $+2// has the same harmonic

rhythm. 9he gigue that originally accompanied the canon neer

receied the same amount of popularity een though it is a liely

and energetic dance.