Three Rights

A TIMELESS TUNE LOST FOR 200 YEARS

Just imagine it is October 23, 1694, in Germany, and you are attending the wedding of Johan Christoph Bach to Dorothea von Hof. In attendance are Johan Christoph’s little brother, Johan Sebastian Bach, who had been taught the keyboard by his older brother for a number of years. Also in attendance was Johan Christoph’s music teacher, Johan Pachelbel, a musician and composer of some renown at the time.

At the appointed time, the musicians readied their instruments and began to play as Johan Pachelbel began to direct the playing of a new piece of music that he had completed just for this occasion. What the audience heard was nothing short of breathtaking as strings and piano played Canon in D Major for the first time. The melody was a gift from the master to his student on his wedding day. Probably one of the greatest gifts ever given to anyone on such an occasion. I can just imagine the impact it had on the young Johan Sebastian Bach and the inspiration he gained from soaking in this beautiful moment of music history.

In modern times Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major is given and shared at countless weddings all over the world on just about every continent. I’m sure it has even been played at some time in Antarctica at a wedding. If it hasn’t, it probably will be. To me it is the most beautiful piece of music ever written. I can hardly listen to it without tearing up at the sound of its driving velvet beauty.

When I began researching for this column, I was surprised to learn that Pachelbel’s masterpiece was lost for over two centuries. In modern times it first appeared when it was published in 1919 by scholar Gustav Beckmann, who included the score in his article on Pachelbel’s chamber music, and a few years later it was published again. But these either added music that was not in the original score or left parts out.

In 1968, the Jean Francois Pollard chamber orchestra made a recording of Canon in D Major that was described as romanticized and slower in tempo than the original, but the tune began to catch on. There was even a rock version released that same year.

Then in 1970 a classical radio station in San Francisco started playing Pollard’s recording of Canon, and that soon led to some widespread popularity and a lot of recoding and playing of the piece. By 1977, an album that contained Canon in D Major climbed to number 6 on the classical album chart.

Then in 1980, Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major was featured in the movie “Ordinary People” starring Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland. With that introduction to a wider audience, the popularity of Canon took off and led to its popularity today.

At this time of year, a Christmas version is played by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, not just with strings and piano but their version includes a children’s choir. If I hear it come on the radio, I have to turn it up.

In this Christmas season I would like to give all of you a gift. The same gift that Pachelbel gave as a wedding gift to Johan Sebastian Bach’s older brother and his wife: this timeless beautiful melody. If you have trouble sleeping, this might just help. Point your phone’s camera on the code below and it will take you to a Google search where you will find several YouTube versions of Pachelbel’s Canon in D, including a 2-hour and even a 10-hour version.