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Johann Pachelbel music biography continued...

in Nuremberg into a middle class family that encouraged his musical education. He received his primary education in St. Lorenz Hauptschule and the Auditorio Aegediano in Nuremberg, then became a student at the University of Altdorf, where he was also appointed organist of St. Lorenz church. By 1673 Pachelbel was living in Vienna, where he became a deputy organist at the famous Saint Stephen Cathedral (Stephansdom). In 1677 he returned to Germany as the court organist at Eisenach. A year later he obtained the organist post at the Predigerkirche at Erfurt, remaining there for twelve years. He also served in the courts at Stuttgart (1690), and Gothe (1692). He returned to his hometown in 1695, as organist of St Sebald's. Johann Pachelbel lived the rest of his life in Nuremberg, during which time he published the chamber music collection Musikalische Ergötzung, and, most important, the Hexachordum Apollinis (Nuremberg, 1699), a set of six keyboard arias with variations. He died in 1706 at 52
As a composer Pachelbel is remembered for writing both free works (toccatas, fantasies, fugues, etc.) and chorale settings. His development of the 'cantus firmus' chorale is perhaps his greatest musical contribution. This compositional pattern influenced many other composers. Pachelbel's work enjoyed enormous popularity during his lifetime; he had many pupils, including J.S.Bach's older brother, and his music became a model for the composers of south and central Germany. As the Baroque style went out of fashion during the 18th century, the majority of Baroque and pre-Baroque composers were virtually forgotten, but interest was again revived in the mid-20th Century with the advent of historically-informed performance practice. Today, Pachelbel is best known for the Canon in D, the only canon he wrote. In addition to the canon, his most well-known works include the Chaconne in F minor, the Toccata in E minor for organ, and the Hexachordum Apollinis. Though not rising to the heights of some other classical composers in terms of critical praise, Pachelbel still remains one of the towering figures in the genre.