Pachelbel Canon and Other Baroque Hits

Johann Pachelbel (Composer), Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), George Frederick Handel (Composer), Antonio Vivaldi (Composer), Tomaso Albinoni (Composer), Jean-Joseph Mouret (Composer), Ettore Stratta (Conductor), Rudolf Baumgartner (Conductor), Richard Westenburg (Conductor), Leonard Slatkin (Conductor), James Galway (Conductor), Arthur Fiedler (Conductor), Leopold Stokowski (Conductor), Harry Rabinowitz (Conductor), Lucerne Festival Strings (Performer), Musica Sacra (Performer), English Chamber Orchestra (Performer), I Musici di Zagreb (Performer), Eduard Kaufmann (Performer), Baroque Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Lucerne Festival Strings, Musica Sacra, English Chamber Orchestra, I Musici di Zagreb, Eduard Kaufmann
• Orchestra: Baroque Chamber Orchestra
• Conductor: Ettore Stratta, Rudolf Baumgartner, Richard Westenburg, Leonard Slatkin, James Galway, et al.
• Composer: Johann Pachelbel, Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frederick Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, Tomaso Albinoni, et al.
• Audio CD (September 6, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000003F5Y
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,675 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #17 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Canons
  • #41 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Rondos

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DEFINES "CLASSIC", May 26, 2000

By 

R. Penola (NYC, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pachelbel Canon and Other Baroque Hits (Audio CD)

We have all heard the infinitely moving Canon in D by Pachelbel hundreds of times - it is not surprising that it has appeared, in one form or another, in commercials, films (most notably Ordinary People, which used the main theme as the underscoring for the entire film) - it is perfect, simple and incredibly, undeniably moving. But you are in for more treats on this basic Baroque sampler, which features many popular themes you may know, despite the fact that you may not be a hard-core classical music buff. The joy of each and every one of these cuts lies in their simple, enduring melodies and the gorgeous musical settings provided here. They sound fresh, new and as contemporary as anything you might hear on the radio. This album has a holiday after-effect as well; the fanfares, hymns and exciting instrumentation (horns, harps, strings galore) make you feel as if it is Christmas every day.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction to Baroque music..., October 3, 2005

By 

ewomack "ewomack" (MN USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Pachelbel Canon and Other Baroque Hits (Audio CD)

This CD contains a great sampling of Baroque music. Some of the best known songs of the period are included. Listeners will likely instantly recognize many of the songs (you've likely heard them before, you just didn't know their names). An excellent rendition of Pachelbel's Canon starts off the CD. Then plenty of music from big names such as Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi fill out the disc's 72 and a half minutes of music.

The demographics of this disc point to an intended mainstream audience. For example, the track listing includes references to which songs served as themes for television shows. For example, Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 includes the byline "Theme from 'Firing Line'" and Mouret's Rondeau says "Theme from 'Masterpiece Theater'". So this collection does represent a popular collection of Baroque songs. And it plays that role very well.

Other standout tracks include: 2 movements from Vivaldi's justifiably famous "The Four Seasons", Bach's amazing "Air on the G String" and Handel's "Xerxes". The disc includes no vocal tracks. "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" from Bach's Cantata No. 147 gets performed on a solo organ (the original has vocals and a string arrangement). So those uneasy with "classical style singing" will find no problems here.

All in all, this disc serves as a good introduction to a great period of music history. It could also serve as a starting point for selecting a favorite composer or as a guide for building a classical music collection.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good "best of" CD, but nothing more., September 27, 2001

By 

cmpst52 "cmpst52" (Denton, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pachelbel Canon and Other Baroque Hits (Audio CD)

This CD does what it says it does: it gives you a brief, excellently recorded overview of the Baroque. But remember, this is just bits and pieces of a great store of music.

This CD will whet your appetite. You'll need to buy more, after you've heard the excerts of the great works here.