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Canon in D

An 18th-century oil painting portrait of a Baroque composer in a powdered wig, seated at a wooden desk writing a music score with a quill. An open window reveals a pastoral landscape, with a viola da gamba and fireplace in the room.

The “Canon in D Major” by Johann Pachelbel is arguably the most recognizable piece of Baroque music in history. Originally composed around 1680 for three violins and a basso continuo, its transition to the piano has made it a staple…