Charles Theodore Pachelbel (1690 - 1750) was a German
composer, organist and harpsichordist of the late
Baroque era. He was the son of the more famous Johann
Pachelbel, composer of the popular Canon in D. He was
one of the first European composers to take up
residence in the American colonies, and was the most
famous musical figure in early Charleston, South
Carolina.
He was born in Stuttgart and baptized in the
Evangelische Kirchengemeinde (Protestant parish) there
on 24 November 1690...(+)
Charles Theodore Pachelbel (1690 - 1750) was a German
composer, organist and harpsichordist of the late
Baroque era. He was the son of the more famous Johann
Pachelbel, composer of the popular Canon in D. He was
one of the first European composers to take up
residence in the American colonies, and was the most
famous musical figure in early Charleston, South
Carolina.
He was born in Stuttgart and baptized in the
Evangelische Kirchengemeinde (Protestant parish) there
on 24 November 1690, son of Johann Pachelbel and his
second wife Judith Drommer. The family moved to Gotha
in 1692, then to Nuremberg in 1695. Nothing is known
about Charles Theodore's life for 25 years after 1706,
when his father died, except the fact that he probably
lived in England for some time (his name appears in a
1732 list of subscribers to a volume of harpsichord
music published in London ).
The circumstances of his emigration to the colonies are
unknown. Pachelbel was living in Boston, Massachusetts
by spring 1733, when he was asked to assist in the
installation of the new organ of Trinity Church in
Newport, Rhode Island. The instrument was donated to
Trinity by George Berkeley, the famous philosopher.
Pachelbel was subsequently hired as organist of the
church and held the post until approximately mid-1735.
In 1736 Pachelbel gave two public concerts in New York:
on 21 January and on 9 March. Both took place in Robert
Todd's house, an important tavern. Pachelbel played the
harpsichord, accompanied by local musicians and
singers.
Pachelbel soon left for Charleston, South Carolina,
where he spent the rest of his life. On 16 February
1737 he married Hanna Poitevin in St. Philip's Church
in Charleston. The couple had at least one child,
Charles, born on 10 September 1739. This could have
been Pachelbel's second marriage, because traces of an
older daughter have been found. He actively
participated in the musical life of the city: on 22
November 1737 he organized a concert of vocal and
instrumental music, apparently the first public concert
in the Charleston area; in February 1740 he succeeded
John Salter as organist of St. Philip's Church; and in
1749, one year before he died, he opened a singing
school. Pachelbel's death in 1750 was apparently caused
by some sort of illness, referred to as a "lameness in
the hands" in the documents. His wife outlived him by
19 years and died on 6 September 1769. There is no
further record of Pachelbel's children.
Only a handful of works by Charles Pachelbel survive;
the most famous is an aria God of sleep, for whom I
languish. His Magnificat for double choir is performed
with some frequency. The young Peter Pelham studied
with him since Newport and followed him to Charleston;
some of Pachelbel's compositions survive in Pelham's
partbooks. St. Philip's in Charleston later burned down
and was rebuilt at a different location. Included in
the list of Pachelbel's possessions compiled after his
death are a harpsichord, a clavichord and collections
of sheet music, but none of these seem to have
survived.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Theodore_Pachelb
el).
Although originally composed for Accompanied Mixed
Chorus, I created this Arrangement of the Magnificat in
C Major for Winds (Flute, Oboe, English Horn & Bassoon)
& Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
SHEET MUSIC