The Meister of Erfurt

Donald Macleod unravels the rich musical legacy of a composer known almost exclusively for one iconic work: the "Canon in D". Today - the composer's colourful life in Erfurt.

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706) was one of the most exceptional musical minds of his generation - a composer of brilliant choral and keyboard music and a huge influence on JS Bach. Yet more than three centuries on, his reputation rests almost exclusively on one piece - his "Canon in D", one of the most famous pieces of classical music of our own age. This week, Donald Macleod delves deep into his world; exploring a raft of brilliant vocal and instrumental works and putting to bed the myth of the "one-hit wonder". We also look more closely at the iconic Canon - in a variety of fascinating, sometimes surprising arrangements.

In today's episode we track the young Pachelbel to Erfurt, where Martin Luther once studied. Alongside a brilliant setting of the Magnificat, Donald tells the curious story of how a 20th-century Frenchman with a knack for marketing turned the Canon into the popular hit we know today...

Exsurgat Deus
Cantus Cölln
Konrad Junghänel, conductor

Musikalische Ergötzung in F Major
London Baroque
Charles Medlam, director

Prelude, Fugue and Chaconne in D Minor
Werner Jacob, organ

Suite for lute solo (1st mvt - Allemande)
Ulrich Wedemeier, lute

Magnificat anima mea
Johann Rosenmüller Ensemble
Arno Paduch, conductor

Pachelbel, arr Jean-Francois Paillard
Canon in D
Jean-Francois Paillard Chamber Orchestra.