Johann Pachehelbel: biography and creativity

Today we will tell you who Johann Pachelbel is. Piano allows you to play his famous works, but this composer chose his organ as his main instrument.

The creativity of our hero is one of the tops of the music of southern Germany of the Baroque period. The composer's contribution is most significant in the church sphere. Johann Pachelbel devoted much of his creative work to such music. "Canon" is one of the most famous works of the composer.

Biography

The future musician was born in 1653. He was baptized. The exact date of his birth is unknown. Johann Pachelbel was born in Nuremberg. Elementary music education was given to him by the cantor of St. Sebald Church, Henry Schwemmer and organist Kaspar Vecker.

At the age of 15, Johann became a student at the University of Altdorf. During the period of training he was an organist in the church. Soon, after studying for less than a year, the young man was forced to leave the university, and the reason for that was financial difficulties.

Later our hero became a student of the institution called Gymnasium poeticum. The management of the school was so impressed by the abilities of the young man that he allowed him to study music outside the gymnasium at Caspar Prenz. The latter was a student of Kaspar Curl. In 1673, the musician took the place of the second organist of St. Stephen's Cathedral, which is located in Vienna. In 1677 our hero went to Eisenach. There he became the court organist Johann Georg, who was the Duke of Saxe-Eisenach. Soon he became acquainted with the Bakhov family.

Fame

In the 1930s, the organ works that Johann Pachelbel created began to be regularly performed. In particular, "I'm coming down from heaven to earth" is a choral prelude, which is very popular today in Germany.

Creation

Our hero was accompanied by music all his life. Johann Pachelbel created more than 200 organ works. During the life of the composer, they were most famous. The musician is also the author of numerous spiritual secular works in various forms: variations and suites for the harpsichord, concerts, motets, magnetics, vocal arias. Most of the chamber works are written in the form of partit.

The music of our hero traces the influence of South German, as well as Italian composers. Probably, he studied the works of Johann Caspar Curl. His influence is most clearly traced. Also the musician took over the experience of Frohberger and some French composers. Our character was most interested in the variation form. The first work of the composer, which was published, is a collection of choral variations.

Piano

Most of the organ church music of our hero is relatively simple. Pedals are not used in it. This is due in part to the Lutheran tradition. Choral singing was accompanied by the sound of home musical instruments. The works of our hero often moved in such a way that they could be performed without a special pedal keyboard. Johann Pachelbel his approach facilitated in many ways the task of arrangers. Also, the simplicity of some works is explained by the corresponding quality of the organs that were available.

Some works are written using a mensural white notation. Such a system was widespread in the XV century. However, during the XVI-XVII century. It was gradually replaced by a classical five-line clock notation. The main part of the body of the composer's organ compositions is composed of liturgical works: about seventy chorals and preludes and over 95 fugues. Johann Pachelbel, as a rule, used 3 or 4 votes. Choral melody in his works is clearly discernible.

The composer ushered in a new unusual musical form. It is a small chorus fugue. Phrases of a melody arise gradually.

In 1693 a collection was published, which consisted of eight chorals. The composer composed over 95 small fugues for the magnetics. Usually the singing was accompanied by a game on the organ or preceded by it. Thus, the tone was set. The composer used the second option. At the same time, most of his fugues are based on original melodies. They are united in the appropriate groups according to 8 church frets.