Pachelbel, Wilhelm Hieronymus
Pachelbel, Wilhelm Hieronymus
Pachelbel, Wilhelm Hieronymus, German organist, harpsichordist, and composer, son of Johann Pachelbel and brother of Charles Theodore (Carl Theodor) Pachelbel; b. Erfurt (baptized), Aug. 29, 1686; d. Nuremberg, 1764. His only known teacher was his father, who gave him instruction in both keyboard instruments and composition. He is believed to have begun his career as an organist in Furth. He then was organist of the Predigerkirche in Erfurt. In 1706 he became organist of the Jakobikirche in Nuremberg, and that same year was named organist at St. Egidien there. In 1719 he became organist at St. Sebald, a post he held until his death. Little of his music is extant, all of it being for keyboard instruments. He pubi. Musicalisches Vergnügen bestehend in einem Praeludio, Fuga und Fantasia, sowohl auf die Orgel als auch auf das Ciavier...vorgestellt und componiert in D major (Nuremberg, 1725?) and Praelu-dium und Fuga in C major (Nuremberg, 1725?). He also composed Fantasia super “Meine Seele, lass es gehen,” Fantasia in B-flat major, O Lamm Gottes unschuldig for Clavier, and Toccata in G major. See H.J. Moser and T. Fedtke, Wilhelm Hieronymus Pachelbel: Gesamtausgabe der erhaltenen Werke für Orgel und Ciavier (Kassel, 1957).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire