Editing Johann Pachelbel (section)

==Life==

===1653–1674: Early youth and education (Nuremberg, Altdorf, Regensburg)===
[[File:Die Türme der Pfarrkirche St. Sebald.jpg|thumb|[[St. Sebaldus Church, Nuremberg]], which played an important role in Pachelbel's life]]

Johann Pachelbel was born in 1653 in [[Nuremberg]] into a middle-class family, son of [[Johann (Hans) Pachelbel]] (born 1613 in [[Wunsiedel]], Germany), a wine dealer,<ref>{{harvnb|Welter|1998|loc=9}}. See also article "Johann Pachelbel" in ''[[Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart]]''. Pachelbel's baptism record with his father's and mother's names is also provided in Welter.</ref> and his second wife Anna (Anne) Maria Mair. The exact date of Johann's birth is unknown, but he was [[Baptism|baptized]] on 1 September.{{sfn|Nolte|2001|loc="Introduction"}} Among his many siblings was an older brother, Johann Matthäus (1644–1710), who served as Kantor in [[Feuchtwangen]], near Nuremberg.<ref>Hewlett, Walter B. 1978. ''The Musicalische Sterbens-Gedancken of Johann Pachelbel: its historical background, analysis and performance'', p. 61.</ref>

During his early youth, Pachelbel received musical training from [[Heinrich Schwemmer]],  who later became the [[Cantor (church)|cantor]] of [[St. Sebaldus Church]] (''Sebalduskirche''). Some sources indicate that Pachelbel also studied with [[Georg Caspar Wecker]], organist of the same church and an important composer of the Nuremberg school, but this is now considered unlikely.{{sfn|Welter|1998|loc=page 55, note 64}}{{refn|See also Johann Mattheson's Pulpit Obituary of 1740, where Mattheson specifically addresses this claim and gives reasons as to why it is not true. Walther's biography, published in 1732, is the only source to state that Pachelbel studied with Wecker; there is no direct evidence for that.|group=n}} In any case, both Wecker and Schwemmer were trained by [[Johann Erasmus Kindermann]], one of the founders of the Nuremberg musical tradition, who had been at one time a pupil of [[Johann Staden]].

[[Johann Mattheson]], whose ''Grundlage einer Ehrenpforte'' (Hamburg, 1740) is one of the most important sources of information about Pachelbel's life, mentions that the young Pachelbel demonstrated exceptional musical and academic abilities. He received his primary education in St. Lorenz Hauptschule and the ''Auditorio Aegediano'' in Nuremberg, then on 29 June 1669, he became a student at the [[University of Altdorf]], where he was also appointed organist of St. Lorenz church the same year. Financial difficulties forced Pachelbel to leave the university after less than a year. In order to complete his studies, he became a scholarship student, in 1670, at the ''Gymnasium Poeticum'' at [[Regensburg]]. The school authorities were so impressed by Pachelbel's academic qualifications that he was admitted above the school's normal quota.

Pachelbel was also permitted to study music outside the Gymnasium. His teacher was Kaspar (''Caspar'') Prentz, once a student of [[Johann Caspar Kerll]]. Since the latter was greatly influenced by Italian composers such as [[Giacomo Carissimi]], it is likely through Prentz that Pachelbel started developing an interest in contemporary Italian music, and Catholic church music in general.

===1673–1690: Career (Vienna, Eisenach, Erfurt)===
Prentz left for [[Eichstätt]] in 1672. This period of Pachelbel's life is the least documented one,{{sfn|Welter|1998|loc=12}} so it is unknown whether he stayed in Regensburg until 1673 or left the same year his teacher did; at any rate, by 1673 Pachelbel was living in Vienna, where he became a deputy organist at the [[St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna|Saint Stephen Cathedral]]. At the time, Vienna was the center of the vast [[Austro-Hungarian Empire|Habsburg]] empire and had much cultural importance; its tastes in music were predominantly Italian. Several renowned [[Cosmopolitanism|cosmopolitan]] composers worked there, many of them contributing to the exchange of musical traditions in Europe. In particular, [[Johann Jakob Froberger]] served as court organist in Vienna until 1657<ref>{{Cite Grove |last=Schott |first=Howard |title=Froberger, Johann Jacob: 1. Life}}</ref> and was succeeded by [[Alessandro Poglietti]].<ref>{{Cite Grove |last=Riedel |first=Friedrich W. |title=Poglietti, Alessandro}}</ref> [[Georg Muffat]] lived in the city for some time, and, most importantly, [[Johann Caspar Kerll]] moved to Vienna in 1673.<ref>{{Cite Grove |last=Harris |first=C. David |last2=Gieberl |first2=Albert C. |title=Kerll, Johann Caspar, §1: Life}}</ref> While there, he may have known or even taught Pachelbel, whose music shows traces of Kerll's style. Pachelbel spent five years in Vienna, absorbing the music of Catholic composers from southern Germany and Italy. In some respects, Pachelbel is similar to [[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]], who too served as a professional musician of the ''Stephansdom'' in his youth and as such was exposed to music of the leading composers of the time. Although he was a Lutheran, his works were influenced by Catholic music.

In 1677, Pachelbel moved to [[Eisenach]], where he found employment as court organist under [[Kapellmeister]] [[Daniel Eberlin]] (also a native of Nuremberg), in the employ of [[John George I, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach|Johann Georg I]], Duke of [[Saxe-Eisenach]]. He met members of the [[Bach family]] in Eisenach (which was the home city of [[Johann Sebastian Bach|J. S. Bach's]] father, [[Johann Ambrosius Bach]]), and became a close friend of Johann Ambrosius and tutor to his children.<ref>Hans T. David, "A Lesser Secret of J. S. Bach Uncovered", ''Journal of the American Musicological Society'', Vol. 14, No. 2. (Summer, 1961), p.&nbsp;200</ref> However, Pachelbel spent only one year in Eisenach. In 1678, [[Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Jena]], Johann Georg's brother, died and during the period of mourning court musicians were greatly curtailed.{{sfn|Nolte|2001|loc="1. Life"}} Pachelbel was left unemployed. He requested a testimonial from Eberlin, who wrote one for him, describing Pachelbel as a 'perfect and rare virtuoso'&nbsp;– ''einen perfekten und raren Virtuosen''.{{sfn|Nolte|2001|loc="1. Life"}} With this document, Pachelbel left Eisenach on 18 May 1678.

[[File:04 Erfurt Predigerkirche 010.jpg|thumb|[[Predigerkirche (Erfurt)|Predigerkirche]], the [[Erfurt]] church, where Pachelbel worked for 12 years, starting in 1678]]

In June 1678, Pachelbel was employed as organist of the [[Predigerkirche (Erfurt)|Predigerkirche]] in [[Erfurt]], succeeding Johann Effler (c. 1640–1711; Effler later preceded [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] in [[Weimar]]). The Bach family was very well known in Erfurt (where virtually all organists would later be called "Bachs"), so Pachelbel's friendship with them continued here. Pachelbel became [[Godparent|godfather]] to Johann Ambrosius' daughter, Johanna Juditha, taught [[Johann Christoph Bach (1671–1721)|Johann Christoph Bach]] (1671–1721), Johann Sebastian's eldest brother, and lived in Johann Christian Bach's (1640–1682) house.{{sfn|Welter|1998|loc=15}} Pachelbel remained in Erfurt for 12 years and established his reputation as one of the leading German organ composers of the time during his stay. The [[chorale prelude]] became one of his most characteristic products of the Erfurt period, since Pachelbel's contract specifically required him to compose the preludes for [[church service]]s.{{refn|For the discussion of the contract in question, see {{harvnb|Nolte|1957|p=xlviii}}. The text of the contract is also given in {{harvnb|Welter|1998|pp=27–29}}, and [[Hugo Botstiber|Botstiber]]'s introduction to ''[[Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich|DTÖ]]'', xvii, Jg.viii/2 (1901/R).|group=n}} His duties also included organ maintenance and, more importantly, composing a large-scale work every year to demonstrate his progress as composer and organist, as every work of that kind had to be better than the one composed the year before.

Johann Christian Bach (1640–1682), Pachelbel's landlord in Erfurt, died in 1682. In June 1684, Pachelbel purchased the house (called ''Zur silbernen Tasche'', now Junkersand 1) from Johann Christian's widow.{{sfn|Welter|1998|loc=16}} In 1686, he was offered a position as organist of the St. Trinitatis church (''Trinitatiskirche'') in [[Sondershausen]]. Pachelbel initially accepted the invitation but, as a surviving letter indicates, had to reject the offer after a long series of negotiations: it appears that he was required to consult with Erfurt's elders and church authorities before considering any job offers.<ref>{{harvnb|Welter|1998|loc=18}}. The letter in question is reproduced and translated in the same dissertation, see pp. 31–32.</ref> It seems that the situation had been resolved quietly and without harm to Pachelbel's reputation; he was offered a raise and stayed in the city for four more years.

Pachelbel married twice during his stay in Erfurt. Barbara Gabler, daughter of the Stadt-Major of Erfurt, became his first wife, on 25 October 1681. The marriage took place in the house of the bride's father. Both Barbara and their only son died in October 1683 during a plague.{{clarify|date=October 2021|reason = A plague, THE plague or what? Reads vaguely, can we specify?}} Pachelbel's first published work, a set of chorale [[Variation (music)|variations]] called ''[[Musicalische Sterbens-Gedancken]]'' ("Musical Thoughts on Death", Erfurt, 1683), was probably influenced by this event.

Ten months later, Pachelbel married Judith Drommer (Trummert), daughter of a [[coppersmith]],{{sfn|Buszin|1959}} on 24 August 1684. They had five sons and two daughters. Two of the sons, [[Wilhelm Hieronymus Pachelbel]] and [[Charles Theodore Pachelbel]], also became organ composers; the latter moved to the [[Thirteen Colonies|American colonies]] in 1734. Another son, Johann Michael, became an instrument maker in Nuremberg and traveled as far as London and [[Jamaica]].{{sfn|Nolte|2001|loc="1. Life"}} One of the daughters, [[Amalia Pachelbel]], achieved recognition as a painter and [[Etching|engraver]].

===1690–1706: Final years (Stuttgart, Gotha, Nuremberg)===
[[File:Pachelbels autograph letter.jpg|thumb|left|Pachelbel's letter]]
Although Pachelbel was an outstandingly successful organist, composer, and teacher at Erfurt, he asked permission to leave, apparently seeking a better appointment, and was formally released on 15 August 1690, bearing a testimonial praising his diligence and fidelity.{{sfn|Buszin|1959}}

He was employed in less than a fortnight: from 1 September 1690, he was a musician-organist in the [[Württemberg]] court at [[Stuttgart]] under the patronage of Duchess [[Magdalena Sibylla of Hesse-Darmstadt|Magdalena Sibylla]]. That job was better, but, unfortunately, he lived there only two years before fleeing the French attacks of the [[War of the Grand Alliance]]. His next job was in [[Gotha]] as the town organist, a post he occupied for two years, starting on 8 November 1692; there he published his first, and only, [[Liturgy|liturgical]] music collection: ''Acht Chorale zum Praeambulieren'' in 1693 (''Erster Theil etlicher Choräle'').

When former pupil Johann Christoph Bach married in October 1694, the Bach family celebrated the marriage on 23 October 1694 in [[Ohrdruf, Thuringia|Ohrdruf]], and invited him and other composers to provide the music; he probably attended—if so, it was the only time [[Johann Sebastian Bach]], then nine years old, met Johann Pachelbel.<ref>Walter Emery, Christoph Wolff. Article "Johann Sebastian Bach" in ''[[Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians|Grove Music Online]]'', ed. L. Macy. (see under Bach.&nbsp;– III. Individual members&nbsp;– (7) Johann Sebastian Bach&nbsp;– 1. Childhood.)</ref>

In his three years in Gotha, he was twice offered positions, in Germany at Stuttgart and in England at [[Oxford University]]; he declined both. Meanwhile, in Nuremberg, when the St. Sebaldus Church organist [[Georg Caspar Wecker]] (and his possible former teacher) died on 20 April 1695, the city authorities were so anxious to appoint Pachelbel (then a famous Nuremberger) to the position that they officially invited him to assume it without holding the usual job examination or inviting applications from prominent organists from lesser churches. He accepted, was released from Gotha in 1695, and arrived in Nuremberg in summer, with the city council paying his per diem expenses.

[[File:Pachelbels tomb.jpg|thumb|Pachelbel's tomb at the [[St. Rochus Cemetery, Nuremberg|St. Rochus Cemetery]] in Nuremberg{{refn|The inscription reads: "{{lang|de|Zum Gedächtnis an den Nürnberger Musiker Johann Pachelbel, 1653–1706, einem Vorläufer Joh. Seb. Bachs, die dankbare Stadt Nürnberg.}}" [In memory of Nuremberg musician Johann Pachelbel, 1653–1706, a forerunner of [[Johann Sebastian Bach]], the grateful city of Nuremberg.<nowiki>]</nowiki>|group=n}}]]

Pachelbel lived the rest of his life in Nuremberg, during which he published the [[chamber music]] collection ''[[Musicalische Ergötzung]]'', and, most importantly, the ''[[Hexachordum Apollinis]]'' (Nuremberg, 1699), a set of six keyboard arias with variations. Though most influenced by Italian and southern German composers, he knew the northern German school, because he dedicated the ''[[Hexachordum Apollinis]]'' to [[Dieterich Buxtehude]]. Also composed in the final years were Italian-influenced [[concertato]] [[Vespers]] and a set of more than ninety [[Magnificat]] [[fugue]]s.

Johann Pachelbel died at the age of 52, in early March 1706, and was buried on 9 March; Mattheson cites either 3 March or 7 March 1706 as the death date, yet it is unlikely that the corpse was allowed to linger unburied as long as six days. Contemporary custom was to bury the dead on the third or fourth post-mortem day; so, either 6 or 7 March 1706 is a likelier death date.{{sfn|Welter|1998|loc=14}} He is buried in the [[St. Rochus Cemetery, Nuremberg|St. Rochus Cemetery]], a Protestant cemetery.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://st-johannisfriedhof-nuernberg.de/beruehmte-verstorbene-rochus/|title=Berühmte Verstorbene &#8211; Evang.-Luth. Friedhofsverband Nürnberg |access-date=2024-09-03}}</ref>