Ciacona d-moll

Johann 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 his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most important composers of the middle Baroque era.

Pachelbel's music enjoyed enormous popularity during his lifetime; he had many pupils and his music became a model for the composers of south and central Germany.

Pachelbel's music was influenced by southern German composers, such as Johann Jakob Froberger and Johann Kaspar Kerll, Italians such as Girolamo Frescobaldi and Alessandro Poglietti, French composers, and the composers of the Nuremberg tradition. He preferred a lucid, uncomplicated contrapuntal style that emphasized melodic and harmonic clarity.

This Ciacona is a beautiful piece, uncomplicatedly written and typical for his style.

Settings:

Werckmeister III
Brustwerk doors open
Front: 90 Rear: 10

The registrations of the piece are realistic, provided the organist has two helpers on this organ to pull the stops.