Canon & Gigue for three violins and continuo in D major

Johann Pachelbel was born in Nuremburg, Bavaria, where, after
serving as organist in Vienna, Eisenach and Erfurt, he was to return to live
out the last years of his life. He was a renowned organ virtuoso and was held
in very high regard by his contemporaries as a teacher, composer and musician.
He wrote prolifically for the organ, harpsichord, choral and solo voices, and
to a lesser extent for strings, his music becoming a model for composers of
south and central Germany.

Although the canon and gigue likely dates from around 1700, the
first known publication of the work was issued in 1919, and since it’s
rediscovery the work’s popularity has grown so much as to make it one of
classical music’s greatest hits, turning Pachelbel from an obscure Baroque
composer to a household name. Unfortunately the circumstances around which the
canon and gigue were written are unknown, but there is speculation that the
work was composed for the wedding of JS Bach’s older brother, Johan Christoph,
who was a former pupil of Pachelbel.

The canon cleverly combines two Baroque forms, presenting a
strict 3-part canon on the violins over a 2-bar ostinato Passacaglia in the
bass. Variations on a bass were written by practically every composer up until
the end of the Baroque era, and were often a way for virtuoso instrumentalists
to present examples of what is possible of their instrument. Pachelbel’s
version is clear and simple, beginning with a descending melody that gradually
becomes more elaborate and lively over the course of 28 variations, resulting
in a mesmerising work that is both beautiful and beguiling. The short gigue
that follows the canon is both refined and rustic in nature. It is presented in
the form of a lively contrapuntal dance, reviving our spirits and bringing this
concert to a fitting end.