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Johann Pachelbel (Composer)

Born: 1653 - Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany (Baptized at the Lorenzkirche in Nuremberg, September 1, 1653)
Died: March 3 (or 6 or 7), 1706 - Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany

The German composer, Johann Pachelbel, received his first instruction in music from Heinrich Schwemmer, and subsequently at the university of Altdorf for one year, undertaking duties as organist at the same time. In 1668 or 1669 he went to Ratisbon to the 'Gymnasium poeticum', and in 1671 or 1672 to Vienna, where, from 1673 onwards, he was a pupil of J. Kaspar Kerl, and apparently acted as his deputy as organist for him in the Imperial chapel. In 1677 he was appointed court organist at Eisenach, and in May of the following year went to Erfurt to be organist of the Predigerkirche. In 1690-1692 he was court organist at Stuttgart (in the latter year he was offered an organist's place at Oxford) and in 1692-1695 at Gotha, after which period he was appointed to the Sebalduskirche in Nuremberg.

Johann Pachelbel's importance in the history of music is due the fact that he was one of the spiritual ancestors of J.S. Bach. His special line of composition was in the highly elaborate varying of chorales, four of which were comprised in his Musikalische Sterbens-Gedancken' (1683); the Erster Theil etlicher Chorale welche bey währenden Gottes Dienst zum präambuliren gebraucht werden konnen, etc. appeared in 1693, Musikalische Ergötzen, six suites for two violins, in 1691; and his most notable work, the Hexachordum Apollinis, six set of variations on different kinds of airs, in 1699. Many suites and other works were preserved in manuscript, and some were reprinted in German collections before 1901, when the D.T.Ö. contained a volume (VIII. ii.) of 94 fugues on the Magnificat, edited by H. Botsiber and Max Seiffert, and shortly afterwards the Hexachordum Apollinis and many other things were edited by A. Sandberger in the D.T.B. II. i. This latter contained also of the work of Wilhelm Hieronymus Pachelbel, and the two composers were associated again in Max Seiffert's edition of their organ works (D.T.B. IV. i.). The editor last mentioned contributed an interesting article, with some additional chorales, to the Sammelbände of the International Musik Gesellschaft vol. v. p. 476. Mattheson's Ehrenpforte contains the earliest notice of Pachelbel's life and career, and in the preface to the volume of the D.T.B. containing the Hexachordum is an elaborate critical biography by Sandberger. His son, Wilhelm Hieronymus Pachelbel (b Erfurt c1685; d ? 1764), was almost an exact eamemporary of J.S. Bach.

Source: Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1952 Edition)
Contributed by
Aryeh Oron (December 2005)

Johann Pachelbel: Short Biography | Johann Pachelbel & Bach

Works previously attributed to J.S. Bach

Chorale Prelude for organ Christ, der du bist Tag und Licht, BWV 1096
Chorale Prelude for organ O Mensch bewein dein' Suende gr, BWV Anh 61
Chorale Prelude for organ Christ lag in Todesbanden, BWV Anh 171
Toccata quasi Fantasia con Fuge for organ in A major, BWV Anh 178 (also M. Rossi, H. Purcell, W.H. Pachelbel, R. King,
Johann Adam Reincken)
Chorale Prelude for organ Ach bleib mit deiner Gnade / Christus, der ist mein Leben, BWV Anh 206

Works in J.S. Bach's Library

Ciacona in d

Use of Chorale Melodies in his works

Title

Chorale Melody

Year

Ach Gott vom Himmel sieh darein, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein

Chorale Partita for Keyboard Instrument on Alle Menschen müssen sterben, PWC 377 (containing a 4-pt. chorale setting with 8 additional variations - also with subtitle Jesu, der du meine Seele.) - see now defunct BWV 262

Alle Menschen müssen sterben / Jesu, der du meine Seele (Zahn 6778)

Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, Chorale Prelude for organ (I), T. 14 (also attrib. Johann Heinrich Buttstett)

Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr

Allein Gott in der Höh sei Her, Chorale Prelude for organ (II), T. 15 (also attrib. Johann Heinrich Buttstett)

Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr

Allein zu dir. Herr Jesu Christ, 2 Chorale Preludes for Organ

Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ

Auf meinen lieben Gott, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Auf meinen lieben Gott

Herzlich tut mich verlangen, Chorale from Chorale Partita.

Befiehl du deine Wege (I)

Cantata for one voice and instruments Christ ist erstanden (lost)

Christ ist erstanden

Christ lag in Todesbanden, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Christ lag in Todesbanden

Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam

Chorale Variations on Christus, der ist mein Leben, T. 81

Christus, der ist mein Leben

1683

Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt (I), Chorale Prelude for Organ, T. 28

Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt

Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt (II), Chorale Prelude for Organ, T. 29

Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt

Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt (III), Chorale Prelude for Organ, T. 30

Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt

Chorale Prelude for organ Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, T. 33 (also attrib. Böhm or D. Buxtehude)

Erhalt uns, Herr bei deinem Wort

Organ Chorales Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, PWC 111 & 112

Erhalt uns, Herr bei deinem Wort

Es woll uns Gott genädig sein, Two Chorale Preludes for Organ

Es woll uns Gott genädig sein

Chorale Variations on Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele (Treuer Gott, ich muss dir klagen) (4 variations), T. 87

Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele

Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, Chorale Prelude for Organ. T. 38

Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ

Herr Christ, der einig Gott’s Sohn, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn

Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir

Herr Jesu Christ, ich weiß gar wohl, Chorale Prelude for Organ on the alternate text for the main melody

Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut

In dir ist Freude, Chorale Prelude for Organ, PWV 211

In dir ist Freude

Sacred Concerto Kommt her zu mir (Text by J.M. Dilher and Johann Franck), 4 vocal parts, 2 violins, 2 ?cornetts, bc, T. 377

Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn

Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn, Chorale Prelude for Organ, T. 52

Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn

Meine Seele erhebt den Herren as, 2 Chorale Preludes for Organ

Meine Seele erhebet den Herren [The German Magnificat]

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, Chorale Prelude for Organ, T. 58

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland

Nun laßt uns Gott dem Herren, Chorale Prelude for Organ, T. 59

Nun laßt uns Gott dem Herren

Sei gegrüsset, Jesu gütig, Organ chorale, PWC 423

Sei gegrüßet, Jesu, gütig

Vater unser im Himmelreich (I), Chorale Prelude for Organ (Choräle 5), T. 5

Vater unser im Himmelreich

1693

Vater unser im Himmelreich (II), Chorale Prelude for Organ, T. 62

Vater unser im Himmelreich

Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz, 2 Chorale Preludes for Organ, T. 64, T. 65

Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz

Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, Chorale with 9 Variations for Keyboard

Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan

1683

Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, Cantata per omnes versus for 4 voices, 2 violins, 2 violas, bassoon, bc

Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan

prob. 1683, otherwise c1690

3 Chorale Prelude for organ Was mein gott will, das gescheh' allzeit (I), PWC 488 (T. 66), PWC 489 (T. 67), PWC 489

Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit

Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist, Chorale Prelude for Organ, T .68.

Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist

Chorale Variations (Chorale Partita with 4 variations) on Werde munter, mein Gemüte for keyboard instrument, T. 86

Werde munter, mein Gemüthe

before 1700

Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns halt, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält

Links to other Sites

Pachelbel, Johann: Biography (Sojurn)
HOASM: Johann Pachelbel
Classical Net - Basic Repertoire List: Pachelbel
Organ Composers: Johann Pachelbel (Ericland)
Pachelbel, Johann (1653 - 1706) (Naxos)
Johann Pachelbel (1653 - 1706) (Karadar) [German]
Pachelbel, Johann (WQXR)

Johann Pachelbel (Wikipedia)
Pachelbel, Johann. (Columbia Encyclopedia)
Johann Pachelbel (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Johann Pachelbel biography (8notes)
allmusic: Johann Pachelbel > Biography
JOHANN PACHELBEL, Biography, Discography (Goldberg)

Bibliography

 


Biographies of Poets & Composers: Main Page | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
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Last update: Tuesday, June 20, 2017 23:20