Pachelbel, Wilhelm Hieronymus

1685-1764

 

Son of the preceding and a contemporary of Sebastian Bach. He was born at Erfurt and learned composition and the harpsichord from his father. His first position as organist was at Wohrd, near Nuremburg, and in 1706 he became organist at one of the Nuremburg churches. His book called Musical Amusements, which was published in 1725, contains a prelude, fugue, and fantasia for the organ or harpsichord. The same year a fugue in F for the harpsichord was published. A prelude in B minor, formerly attributed to him, is now thought to be by Bach, and the. discussion of this disputed point is in Spitta's J. S. Bach. Besides the man- uscripts in various libraries, a few of his compositions are included with his father's in Denkmaler der Tonkunst in Bayern, which gives 1764 as the date of his death. This date, however, is not certain.