Seven Works of Johann Pachelbel Anton Batagov

• Johann Pachelbel (1653 - 1706): Alle Menschen müssen sterben, P.377a:
• 1 Pachelbel: Alle Menschen müssen sterben, P.377a 14:36
• Chaconne in D Major, P.40:
• 2 Pachelbel: Chaconne in D Major, P.40 10:18
• Fantasia in D Minor, P.125:
• 3 Pachelbel: Fantasia in D Minor, P.125 07:32
• Chaconne in C Major, P.38:
• 4 Pachelbel: Chaconne in C Major, P.38 12:25
• Fantasia in A Minor, P.126:
• 5 Pachelbel: Fantasia in A Minor, P.126 07:09
• Chaconne in F Minor, P.43:
• 6 Pachelbel: Chaconne in F Minor, P.43 14:03
• Canon and Gigue in D Major, P.37:
• 7 Pachelbel: Canon and Gigue in D Major, P.37 11:13
• Total Runtime 01:17:16

Info for Seven Works of Johann Pachelbel

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706), a German composer and organist, received much recognition during his lifetime. The early years of his private life were also extremely successful: he married a beautiful woman, the daughter of the mayor of Erfurt, and they had a son. However, shortly afterwards, his wife and son died of plague. Pachelbel’s first published collection of works was titled Musicalische Sterbens-Gedanken (Musical Thoughts on Death). All of his compositions from that point onwards were meditations on overcoming death. Step by step, through this music, we come to understand that death is not the end, nor a transition into non-existence. On the contrary, it is an entrance into a realm where there are no temporary phenomena subject to suffering and decay, no parting, and no fear – a space where nothing obscures the light.

The music of Johann Pachelbel is structured similarly to many compositions written a few centuries ago: exercises of sorts, endless variations on a chord sequence. Simple chord progressions are repeated over and over again, with variations giving birth to various melodies and textures, gradually revealing their magic. In the 20th century, this compositional technique was revived under the name of ‘minimalism.’ Not only does this never get boring, but the longer you listen, the less you want it to stop. Each variation opens a door before you, and you walk through this endless enfilade, realizing that it is none other than a way home.

Anton Batagov, piano

Anton Batagov
The Russian composer, pianist and electronic musician, Anton Batagov, graduated from the Gnessin School and the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. He was prize-winner at the International Tchaikovsky Competition (1986) and other competitions.

Anton Batagov introduced the music by John Cage, Morton Feldman, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass to Russian audiences. His discographical debut was a recording of Olivier Messiaen's Vingt regards sur l'Enfant Jesus for Melodiya. From 1989 to 1996 he was one of the leaders and organizers of the Alternativa, the annual international new music festival in Moscow.

Heralded as “one of the most significant and unusual figures of Russian contemporary music” (Newsweek, Russian edition, 1997) and "a Russian Terry Riley" (Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 2008), Anton Batagov is one of the most influential Russian composers and performers of our time. The post-Cagean philosophy of Batagov's projects eliminates any boundaries between "performance" and "composition" by viewing all existing musical practices - from ancient rituals to rock and pop culture and advanced computer technologies - as potential elements of performance and composition. The well-known American musicologist Richard Kostelanetz characterized Batagov's 1993 piano recording of J.S. Bach’s The Art of the Fugue (BWV 1080) as "the most stunning interpretation of Bach since Glenn Gould."

The post-minimalist language of Batagov’s compositions is rooted in the harmonic and rhythmic patterns of Russian church bells, Old Believer chants, and folk songs seamlessly mixed with the spirit of Western minimalism, the dynamic pulse of the early Soviet avant-garde, and the unfading scent of rock music. His works feature a unique sense of large-scale architecture and textured emotionalism.

Anton Batagov's discography includes over 30 CD releases. He is the author of several movie soundtracks, and the number one composer of original music for Russian television. Since 1997, he has composed over 3,000 tunes for the major Russian TV channels.

In 1997 Anton Batagov stopped performing live, and since then, he has been focusing on studio recordings. Most of his works written since the late 1990's are deeply influenced by Buddhist philosophy and practice. He has written a number of major works based on a keystone Buddhist texts chanted by Tibetan lamas as well as several large-scale instrumental compositions inspired by Buddhist teachings.

In 2009 Anton Batagov received the prestigious national Steppenwolf Award in the Best Music category.

In 2009, after 12 years of self-imposed exile from concert activities, Batagov returned to live performances, and immediately confirmed his status as a legendary performer.

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