Canon

Canon by Johann Pachelbel is one of the most famous and recognizable pieces of classical music. The treatment of the melody in this arrangement follows a popular Baroque tradition, the concerto grosso. This technique utilizes a small group of soloists that were supported by the remainder of the ensemble. In this arrangement, the solo instruments are 2 flutes and 2 clarinets which have the majority of the technically scalar passages as well as the lyrical melody line. The “chamber sound” created by this arrangement is a welcome variation from the tutti sound that is commonly found in concert band writing.