Pachelbel, Canon in D (1 of 3), performed by Voices of Music

Pachelbel's celebrated "Canon in D," performed by Voices of Music, accompanied by scrolling graphical and symbolic scores.

FAQ

Q: Where can I get the sheet music for this piece?
A: The score that's shown in the video can be downloaded here
http://www.musanim.com/pdf/PachelbelCanon_score.pdf
and parts that you can perform from are here:
http://www.musanim.com/pdf/PachelbelCanon_parts.pdf
and here's an arrangement for flute quartet (ZIP file with score and parts)
http://www.musanim.com/pdf/CanonArrFluteQuartet.zip

Q: Who is playing this music?
A: The group is called Voices of Music; the performers in this piece are
Katherine Kyme, Carla Moore and Cynthia Miller Freivogel, baroque violin,
Tanya Tomkins, baroque violoncello,
Hanneke van Proosdij, baroque organ, and
David Tayler, theorbo

Q: It says "in D" but it sounds like it's in C-sharp to me.
A: That's true; this performance is at what referred to as "old pitch," a pitch level that was more common when the piece was written.

Q: These performers are wonderful; where I can hear more?
A: Voices of Music record on the Magnatune label:
http://magnatune.com/artists/voicesofmusic
Q: Where can I get the mp3 of this?
A: This recording will be available at Magnatune pretty soon.

Q: Why does the title say "1 of 3"?
A: I'm planning to do three versions of this piece. The second version shows Voices of Music performing; it's here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gjQJuQN6hs
(and a second version of it with thinner note bars is here):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cweUyEDwd3o
The third version will show more about how the canon works.

Q: The bar-graph score and the conventional notation don't match; why is that?
A: The notation is similar to what the performers looked at when they were playing, but the bar-graph score is a little closer to what they actually did. To make the bar-graph score, I started with the original score, then listened to the performance and made various adjustments. Mostly, I added the trills and made notes shorter; I also transcribed some of the notes of the organ and theorbo (which were improvised during the performance and not written down anywhere). Then, I adjusted the timing of this modified score so that the beats matched the beats in the recording; this worked pretty well except at the very end, where the tempo changed a lot within a single beat.

Q: What is a "canon"?
A: As usual, Wikipedia has some good articles about this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_%28music%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachelbel%27s_Canon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Pachelbel

Q: Is there a way I could make the bar-graph scores myself?
A: The Music Animation Machine MIDI file player will generate this display; you can get the (Windows) software here:
http://www.musanim.com/player/
There are lots of places on the web where you can get MIDI files; I usually go to the Classical Archives site first:
http://www.classicalarchives.com/
If you want to upload your videos to YouTube, you might want to read this:
http://www.musanim.com/youtube/HowToMakeMamVideos.html

Q: Could you please do a MAM video of _________?
A: First, check my "to do" list (and the related "to don't" list):
http://www.musanim.com/all/MAMToDoList.html ...
If the piece isn't listed, read the "Could you please do a MAM video of _________?" item on my main FAQ:
http://www.musanim.com/mam/mamfaq.html#copyright ...
and if you think I'd consider doing it, email me (stephen at musanim dot com).

Q: Why do the scores move at different speeds?
A: The bar-graph score is graphical, and in it, time translates exactly into horizontal position; conventional notation is symbolic, typically with one symbol per note, regardless of whether it's a long or a short note, and the symbols are more or less evenly spaced (for legibility); so, when the notes are faster, the notation needs to move faster to keep up.
.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• beautiful
• flowing
• wedding
• violins
• strings
• orchestra
• cannon

[diegosgc]

There is one instrument missing in the sheet music. It appears in the animation, but not in the score

[smalin]

@diegosgc That's right: it's not in the score (because it was improvised during the performance, not composed by Pachelbel).

[Fantini31]

This is a bit fast, isnt it?!

[smalin]

@Fantini31 No.

[osterianio]

i just noticed that this is actually being played in Db

[smalin]

@osterianio Well, yes and no. Pitch standards have changed between when this was written and now. The instruments are tuned to the way they were when the piece was written. So, they're playing it in D (that is, if you watched them, saw where their fingers were on the keyboard and fingerboards, you'd see that they were playing it in D), but it's the "D" that Pachelbel used (or, at least, that people living back then used).

[johnsonlamhk]

Original instrument! Good!

[preagle60657]

@indgiu If you've studied or played music, you can tell from which notes are sharp or flat. Plus, certain keys have a "tone" to them.. C to me always feels very clean, G is upbeat. B flat or A are kind of somber, in a way.

[8294698]

Excellent work on the video

[TheRyanHund]

@smalin Yes it is.

[preagle60657]

@aninjainatree As a former bass player (who would fill in if the cello was absent)- it is a trifle dull for us. Half note after half note after half note...

As usual, the violins/violas get ALL the fun. LOL.

[GLaDOSv720]

I say chaps, is it such a splendid, pleasant day to have a cup of tea in the morn?

ಠ_ರೃ

[Desdemona1202]

@indgiu well some people just hear it. it's amazing. i am not able to recognize the key by ear, but I recognize it if I play along this peace on the piano

[Suziannie]

My 5 month old daughter loves not only listening to the piece, but also the animation of the score. It really fascinates her and you can see her arms moving somewhat in time with the music and just a sense of awe she has. Thank you for this.

[indgiu]

forgive my ignorance, but how can people recognize the key of the piece by ear?

[aninjainatree]

I hate this song so much... >cello player