Kanon in D by Johann Pachelbell, arranged for organ (four hands) played by Henry Doktorski on the 1989 2-manual and pedal 9-rank Schlicker organ at House of Prayer Lutheran Church, Escondido California.
Johann Christoph Pachelbel (1653-1706) was a German composer, organist, and teacher who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and is recognized as one of the most important composers of the middle Baroque era. Today he is best known for his Kanon in D, popularly known as Pachelbel’s Canon, which is often played as a processional during church wedding ceremonies.
In music, a canon is a contrapuntal technique that employs a melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration (e.g., quarter rest, one measure, etc.). Repeating canons in which all voices are musically identical are called rounds-Row, Row, Row Your Boat and Frère Jacques are popular examples.
Pachelbel’s Kanon in D was originally written for three violins over a Ground Bass (played by the continuo). The continuo (short for Basso Continuo) is a group of musicians which provide the bass line and harmonic background to the melodies, typically played by a cello (or bassoon) and harpsichord (or organ). In Pachelbel’s canon, each of the three violinists plays the exact same melody two measures apart. It is quite clever how the three parts fit together.
Among the many recordings of Pachelbel’s famous canon, very few use the original three instrumental parts, and most play the piece too slowly (sometimes as lethargic as 30 beats per minute), using harps and lush orchestral settings. Henry dislikes these modern syrupy versions and considers them overly sentimental, and even lugubrious. He prefers a more peppy andante tempo, such as 60 beats per minute.
In this recording, Henry plays the canon exactly as Pachelbel wrote it, using the sound-on-sound recording technique, as if he had three hands to play each violin part on the organ (and a fourth hand for the continuo part). First, Henry recorded the continuo part. The ground bass is played on the pedals (16 SUBBASS and 8 GEDECKT), while the harmonic accompaniment is played on Manual II using 8 SALICIONAL and 8 CELESTE. Second, Henry recorded the first violin part using the 8 GEDECKT, the 4 CHIMNEY FLUTE and 1 1/3 LARIGOT on Manual II. Third, Henry recorded the second violin part using the 8 PRINCIPAL on Manual I, and fourth, he recorded the third violin part using the 8 TRUMPET.
He then threw in a chime at the beginning and end for good measure, to help create a festive atmosphere. Henry said, “This organ version of Pachelbel’s famous canon has everything but the kitchen sink. It showcases all the four families of pipes (STRING, FLUTE, PRINCIPAL, and REED) and the percussion (CHIMES). It reminds me of the sound of a musical clock, a type of automated mechanical instrument popular in Europe from the 16th to the 19th centuries, which played an elaborate tune every hour on the hour.”
Henry and two of his organist colleagues-Bonnie Rex and Carol Graham-actually performed this arrangement (all three sitting together on the organ bench) live in concert at an American Guild of Organists recital on the 22-rank three manual and pedal 1971 Reuter/Rodgers organ at Trinity Episcopal Church in Escondido, California, on Sunday, October 15, 2017.
For more about House of Prayer Lutheran Church, visit www.hoplutheran.com.
For more about Henry Doktorski, visit henrydoktorski.com.
27 фев 2024
