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Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D Major, performed on original instruments. Voices of Music Hanneke van Proosdij & David Tayler, directors Cynthia Miller Freivogel, Elizabeth Blumenstock & Augusta McKay Lodge, baroque violins (left to right) Elisabeth Reed, baroque cello Hanneke van Proosdij, baroque organ David Tayler, archlute About the performance: the canon is played using not only the instruments but also the bowing techniques from the time of Pachelbel. A new edition for the music was made from the earliest manuscript source. As you can see from the video, especially if you look at the high definition version, the string instruments are not only baroque, but they are in baroque setup: this means that the strings, fingerboard, bridge and other parts of the violin appear just as they did in Pachelbel's time. No metal hardware such as chinrests, clamps or fine tuners are used on the violins, allowing the violins to vibrate freely. A good example of baroque bowing can be seen in the extended passage of repeated notes: the musicians play these notes on one bow—the shorter & lighter baroque bow—to created a gliding effect. The players also hold the bow very differently which affects the balance and touch. Both the style and the amount of vibrato are based on baroque treatises which describe the methods for playing, bowing & articulation in the late 17th century. The narrow, shimmering vibrato blends with the baroque organ. The organ used is made entirely of wood, based on German baroque instruments, and the pipes are voiced to provide a smooth accompaniment to the strings, instead of a more soloistic sound. Another feature of the video is the subtle differences in not only the sound and color of the instruments, but also the different techniques of the players. All three are playing baroque violins with baroque bows, yet each person has her own distinct sound and bowing style—each bow has a different shape and balance. If you look at paintings of 17th century players you will see that they are all different, because that individuality of sound and technique was highly valued. This allows the players and the listeners to hear and appreciate the “Voices of Music.“ Pitch is A=415.3 Hz. We chose a baroque pitch and temperament from the time of Pachelbel. The present video is from our “Musica Transalpina“ concerts, February, 2023. Sixteen years ago, we filmed this work on what was then “cutting edge“ 1080p, before it was even supported on YouTube. That video is at 18 million views! The camera we used back then recorded onto tiny tape cassettes, which then had to be specially processed with custom software to extract 24p/1080 video. We always thought it would be fun to return to this work, and here we are with a different interpretation & tempo :) You will notice Cynthia in the first video, and she triumphantly returns! We hope you enjoy both versions, and the Gigue is on the way --H&D Special thanks to our amazing crew: Audio engineer & ambisonics: Boby Borisov Video director: Lloyd Hryciw Video: Rob Clevenger Post Production: David Tayler & Augusta McKay Lodge Produced by Hanneke van Proosdij & David Tayler Copyright 2023 Voices of Music #PachelbelCanon
