Baroque
Baroque
Classical
Romantic
20th century
21st century
Solo repertoire
Piccolo
Alto flute
Bass flute
Pachelbel Johann
Albinoni, Tomaso Giovanni
Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel
Bach, Johann Sebastian
Bach, Wilhelm Friedmann
Barre, Michel de la
Benda, Franz
Blavet, Michel
Boccherini, Luigi
Boismortier, Joseph Bodin de
Čart, Jiří
Chédeville, Nicolas
Corelli, Arcangelo
Corrette, Michel
Couperin, François
Handel, George Frideric
Hotteterre, Jacques-Martin
Leclair, Jean-Marie l'aîné
Locatelli, Pietro Antonio
Loeillet (de Gant), Jean-Baptiste
Marais, Marin
Marc, Thomas
Marcello, Benedetto
Martini, Giovanni Battista
Müthel, Johann Gottfried
Pachelbel, Johann
Pergolesi, Giovanni Battista
Platti, Giovanni Benedetto
Quantz, Johann Joachim
Telemann, Georg Philipp
Tromlitz, Johann George
Vitali, Tomaso Antonio
Vivaldi, Antonio
Canon for flute and piano
Canon for flute and piano
Johann Pachelbel: Canon for flute and piano was written between 1680 and 1706, originally for three violins and basso continuo.
Since the original is for three violins, the flutist must choose which "voice" to play. Most transcriptions (Daniel Dorff or James Galway) weave the three violin parts into a single solo line, giving the flutist the most famous "licks" from each section.
In its original form, the Canon is followed by a lively Gigue. Most flute and piano transcriptions omit this Gigue, focusing only on the famous "Canon" melody.
The composition was written during the period when Pachelbel was at the height of his career as a teacher and organist, serving as the organist at St. Sebaldus Church in Nuremberg.
It was likely written for a specific social occasion, possibly a wedding. There's a legend that suggests that this was for the wedding of J.S. Bach's older brother, Johann Christoph Bach, whom Pachelbel taught.
The work sat in near-total obscurity for centuries until it was published in 1919 by scholar Gustav Beckmann and later recorded by the Jean-François Paillard Chamber Orchestra in 1968, which launched its modern fame.
John Georgiadis (conductor), Münchner Rundfunkorchester, 1991, BMG Music / RCA Victor
Canon in D Major
Pachelbel Johann
Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706) was a German composer, considered a central figure of the South German Baroque and one of the most significant organists and composers of the generation preceding Johann Sebastian Bach.
Born in Nuremberg, in a family of a wine dealer, his early musical education was shaped by the city’s rich artisanal and musical culture. He received his first musical training from Heinrich Schwemmer and Georg Caspar Wecker, key figures in the Nuremberg school of organists. He studied at the St. Lorenz Hauptschule and later at the University of Altdorf.
In 1673, Pachelbel moved to Vienna, where he became deputy organist at St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom). Here, he was deeply influenced by the Italianate and Catholic musical styles of composers like Johann Jakob Froberger and Alessandro Poglietti.
After Vienna, Pachelbel held major posts in Eisenach and Erfurt. In Eisenach, he became a close friend of Johann Ambrosius Bach (J.S. Bach’s father). He became the teacher of Johann Christoph Bach (J.S. Bach’s older brother), serving as a crucial stylistic link to the young Sebastian.
He later served as court organist in Stuttgart and Gotha before returning to his hometown of Nuremberg in 1695 to take the prestigious position of organist at St. Sebaldus Church, where he remained until his death in 1706.
Pachelbel's compositional style is known for "lucid" textures and a "cantabile" (singing) melodic style. He was a master of the variation form and the Chaconne. While famously known for his Canon, Pachelbel's true historical weight lies in his 95 Magnificat Fugues and his liturgical organ works, which provided the structural blueprint for the high Baroque style.