Composer

:

Johann Pachelbel

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Aria

Compose Date

:

1699

Publication Date

:

1699

Average_duration

:

46:28

Movement_count

:

5

Movement ....

Johann Pachelbel's 'Hexachordum Apollinis' is a collection of six keyboard suites, T. 211-216, composed in 1699. The work was dedicated to the Elector of Mainz, Johann Philipp von Schönborn, and was published in Nuremberg in the same year. Each suite consists of a prelude and a series of variations on a different hymn or chorale melody. The six melodies used are 'Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her', 'Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland', 'Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr', 'Christus, der ist mein Leben', 'Ach, was soll ich Sünder machen', and 'Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan'. The suites are written in a variety of keys and feature a range of technical challenges for the performer, including virtuosic passagework, intricate counterpoint, and complex harmonies. Pachelbel's use of the hexachord, a six-note scale, is a prominent feature throughout the work, hence the title 'Hexachordum Apollinis', which translates to 'Apollo's Six-Stringed Lyre'. The preludes of each suite are typically in a free, improvisatory style, while the variations that follow are more structured and showcase Pachelbel's skill as a composer. The variations range in character from lively and dance-like to introspective and contemplative, and each suite has its own unique character and mood. Overall, 'Hexachordum Apollinis' is a significant contribution to the keyboard repertoire of the late Baroque period, and it demonstrates Pachelbel's mastery of keyboard technique and his ability to create beautiful and expressive music within a strict formal framework.

More....