Is Pachelbel's Canon Really a Canon?

I never knew the authentic version of the world’s most famous canon, having only known arrangements which conceal the fact that the music is indeed a canon in three voices. Here is what the ‘real’ canon looks like:

It continues for over 50 bars as a three voice canon at the unison. In my brief survey of this piece, I found one theory that suggests the 9-year-old J.S. Bach was in attendance at the first performance in history.

While the canonic treatment is clever and not worthy of our loathing— we blame its ill fate on others— Bach’s contributions to the genre outshine this example. We continue with Bach’s canonic art in the next episodes.

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Concepts Covered:

The musical canon has long been a cornerstone of Baroque music, with J.S. Bach canons exemplifying the height of Bach’s canonic art and canonic structure in Bach’s compositions. This episode explores Bach’s musical contributions, from his early compositions to his sophisticated fugue and canon techniques. We also discuss Pachelbel’s Canon in D, one of the most recognizable pieces in classical music, analyzing its compositional style, melody, and Baroque influences. Through Bach musical theory, Bach analysis and theory, and comparisons with Pachelbel’s influence, we uncover the lasting impact of these works on Bach music history and the broader canon of Baroque music masterpieces.

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