Charles Theodore Pachelbel facts for kids
Charles Theodore Pachelbel (named Carl Theodorus when he was baptized on 24 November 1690; he was buried on 15 September 1750) was a German composer, organist, and harpsichord player. He lived during the late Baroque period, a time when music was often grand and fancy.
Charles Theodore was the son of the very famous composer Johann Pachelbel, who wrote the popular Canon in D. Charles Theodore was one of the first European composers to live in the American colonies. He became the most well-known musician in early Charleston, South Carolina.
Life Story
Early Years (1690–1732)
Charles Theodore Pachelbel was born in Stuttgart, Germany. He was baptized there on 24 November 1690. His parents were Johann Pachelbel and his second wife, Judith Drommer.
His family moved to Gotha in 1692, and then to Nuremberg in 1695. We don't know much about Charles Theodore's life for 25 years after his father died in 1706. However, it seems he lived in England for some time. His name appeared on a list in 1732 for a book of harpsichord music published in London.
Life in the American Colonies (1733–1750)
We don't know exactly why Charles Theodore Pachelbel moved to the American colonies. By the spring of 1733, he was living in Boston, Massachusetts. He helped set up a new organ at Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island. This organ was given to the church by George Berkeley, a famous thinker.
Pachelbel then became the organist for Trinity Church. He worked there until about mid-1735. In 1736, Pachelbel gave two public concerts in New York. These concerts happened at Robert Todd's house, which was a well-known tavern. Pachelbel played the harpsichord, and other local musicians and singers joined him.
Soon after, Pachelbel moved to Charleston, South Carolina. He lived there for the rest of his life. On 16 February 1737, he married Hanna Poitevin at St. Philip's Church in Charleston. They had at least one child, a son named Charles, born on 10 September 1739.
Pachelbel was very active in Charleston's music scene. On 22 November 1737, he put on a concert with singing and instruments. This was likely the first public concert in the Charleston area. In February 1740, he became the organist at St. Philip's Church. In 1749, a year before he passed away, he opened a school to teach singing.
Charles Theodore Pachelbel died in 1750. Records suggest he had an illness that caused "lameness in the hands." His wife lived for 19 more years, passing away on 6 September 1769. There are no further records about Pachelbel's children.
His Music
Only a few pieces of music by Charles Pachelbel still exist today. His most famous work is an aria called God of sleep, for whom I languish. His Magnificat for two choirs is also performed sometimes.
A young musician named Peter Pelham studied with Pachelbel in Newport and followed him to Charleston. Some of Pachelbel's music survived because it was found in Pelham's music books. After Pachelbel died, a list of his belongings included a harpsichord, a clavichord, and collections of sheet music. Sadly, none of these seem to have survived.
