Johann Pachelbel: Canon In D: Violin Ensemble: Instrumental Album

While Pachelbel has been most admired as a composer of organ works and Lutheran church music his Canon in D has long been one of his most celebrated compositions. It combines two time-honored compositional devices. The first of these is of course the canon a procedure whereby a melody in one part is strictly imitated by one or more other parts; a round (such as for example Frère Jacques) is a type of canon. The second device involves a short bass line (refeered to as a ground bass) that is repeated constandly over which the composer writes continuous variations. In its original form the work consists of an initial statement of an eight note ground bass followed by27 variations in strict canonic style for three violins above that bass. In addition to these four essential parts an appropriate harmonic background would have been improvised on harpsichord lute or organ. In the present arrangement Pachelbel's note values have been doubled for greater ease of reading and the work's canonic structure has been somewhat modified in order to make it more readily playable by violinists and pianists at an intermediate level. Since dynamics bowing indications articulations and slurs were not customarily provided by composer of the Baroque era the arranger and the editor have added them here as well as a metronome indication and a few cadential trills. Obviously these editorial additions should be regarded only as suggestions.

This is an enjoyable arrangement of Pachelbel's well loved Canon in D for two violins and piano arranged by Daniel Dorff. The imitative melody lines are also voiced in the piano part thus providing the same texture as with the original version. The violin 1 and 2 parts are also included on separate inserts.

This is the Edition Peters Urtext edition of Pachelbel's Canon and Gigue for 3 Violins with Basso Continuo.

Canon in D is the most famous piece of music by Johann Pachelbel, written in or around 1680 as a piece of chamber music for three violins and basso continuo. Willard A. Palmer's simplified arrangement is for the intermediate pianist. / Piano

Arranged for Organ by Nigel Ogden Among the all-time classical favourites and an essential item in any church organist's library of service music Pachelbel's Canon in D receives a fresh and original makeover in this new arrangement by the celebrated recitalist and radio host Nigel Ogden. Scored by the composer for an ensemble of three violins and bass the piece adapts beautifully for performance on the organ. Ogden's treatment retains all the soothing melodious character of the original masterpiece while falling easily within the range of amateur players who are able to manage a simple pedal part.

Eleven well-known beautiful pieces for solo Violin performing as part of a string quartet! The enclosed CD not only lets you hear what the end result should sound like it also enables you to play along as part of the ensemble and experience these wonderful pieces with accompaniment.