Johann Pachelbel (in German, pronounced ['johan 'pax?lbl?], ['paxl?b?l], or [pa'x?lbl?]; in English, pronounced /'pk?lb?l/, /'p??k?lb?l/, or /'p??k?b?l/; baptized September 1, 1653 buried March 9, 1706) was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most important composers of the middle Baroque era.
Pachelbel's work enjoyed enormous popularity during his lifetime; he had many pupils and his music became a model for the composers of south and central Germany. Today, Pachelbel is best known for the Canon in D, the only canon he wrote. But the famous composition is not a canon in the common sense of the word but more like a passacaglia. In addition to the canon, his most well-known works include the Chaconne in F minor, the Toccata in E minor for organ, and the Hexachordum Apollinis, a set of keyboard variations.
Pachelbel's music was influenced by southern German composers, such as Johann Jakob Froberger and Johann Kaspar.