Product Description
Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel, arranged for string quartet, string quintet, or string orchestra by Dan Edwards. Dan is a prize-winning composer and arranger, and was the staff arranger for the Countess of Wessex's String Orchestra for many years. danedwardscreative.com
This is an arrangement like no other!
Pachelbel's Canon is a hugely popular piece, but unfortunately it was not written for the string quartet. The original is for three violins and basso continuo, so this presents quite a few problems when string quartets attempt to play it.
- Firstly, the 'viola' part is extraordinarily high, not only making it very difficult to play, but making that one voice stick out much more than the other three in the highest parts of the piece. Usually the high bits are just transposed down an octave but this isn't very satisfying. My solution in this arrangement is to swap the voices of the canon around so that the viola always plays the lowest part. Have a look at the score to see what I mean - the viola part isn't transposed, but it never goes above an E on the A string.
- Secondly, the first two bars should have harmony, as there should be a keyboard instrument accompanying the cello. To compensate for this I've added some simple harmony in small note heads at the start, before each canon entry.
- Thirdly, the cellist always gets lost in this piece. I know because I am a cellist and I always get stressed out towards the end of this piece. So I've added a reduced-size violin 1 part to the cello part so the cellist can follow along and know exactly when the piece is going to end!
Includes a full score (6 pages), and complete set of parts. Violin 1 - 3 pages. Violin 2 - 3 pages. Viola - 2 pages. Cello/ bass - 3 pages.
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