Canon and Gigue in D major for 3 violins and basso continuo

Johann Pachelbel, born in 1653 in Nuremberg, a generation before Bach, is one of the most important organ composers of Southern Germany after the Reformation. His compositions were already widely known at that time. The most popular work today is probably the Canon with the subsequent Gigue in D major. The Canon - according to the source "a 3 Violinis con Basso c." - is built over an ostinato bass, whose two-bar figure is repeated a total of 28 times. The subsequent short Gigue is also composed in a strict contrapuntal style. The exact date of the work's creation is unknown. Like most other chamber music works, Pachelbel may have composed it during his time in Thuringia from 1677 to 1695. It is a well-loved and sonorous piece, also popular among amateur ensembles.