Seeking "celebratory" arrangement of Pachelbel's Canon
July 12, 2008 9:56 AM Subscribe
Can you recommend an arrangement of Pachelbel's Canon that is "celebratory" or perhaps simply "peppy"?
I don't know much about the mechanics of music or the associated terminology; please excuse the layman's terms.
As part of my small, non-traditionally-structured wedding ceremony, I would like to play Canon at the end, starting around the "kiss the bride" moment, and I would like it to be very triumphant/celebratory, perhaps with a hint of bombast and general fun-ness.
My concern with traditional arrangements is that they have a have a slow build-up before they get to the really energetic bits, and my concern with most of the readily find-able "rock" arrangements if that even if they forgo a slow-build up they are a little obnoxious for the setting I have in mind.
The clearest way I can say it is that I would like a version performed on nice, distortion free instruments (or even a single instrument) that jumps quickly into the piece's famous melody.
Does such an arrangement already exist? If it doesn't exist, how would I go about commissioning such a thing? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. Feel free to mail me if you like.
I don't know much about the mechanics of music or the associated terminology; please excuse the layman's terms.
As part of my small, non-traditionally-structured wedding ceremony, I would like to play Canon at the end, starting around the "kiss the bride" moment, and I would like it to be very triumphant/celebratory, perhaps with a hint of bombast and general fun-ness.
My concern with traditional arrangements is that they have a have a slow build-up before they get to the really energetic bits, and my concern with most of the readily find-able "rock" arrangements if that even if they forgo a slow-build up they are a little obnoxious for the setting I have in mind.
The clearest way I can say it is that I would like a version performed on nice, distortion free instruments (or even a single instrument) that jumps quickly into the piece's famous melody.
Does such an arrangement already exist? If it doesn't exist, how would I go about commissioning such a thing? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. Feel free to mail me if you like.
Response by poster: I'm looking for a recording, specifically. Thanks for that link and the excellent clarifying question, jedicus.
posted by chudmonkey at 10:12 AM on July 12, 2008
posted by chudmonkey at 10:12 AM on July 12, 2008
Oh, sorry, acoustic. Here's some ideas for acoustic peppy versions.
posted by lothar at 10:26 AM on July 12, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by lothar at 10:26 AM on July 12, 2008 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Pachelbel Rant = Funny, but I'm looking for versions of Canon, not music inspired by or sampling from Canon. My fiancé's long-standing dream for the day doesn't include lyrics by Coolio or Billie-Joe, I'm afraid. Thanks for your consideration none-the-less, Lothar!
posted by chudmonkey at 10:32 AM on July 12, 2008
posted by chudmonkey at 10:32 AM on July 12, 2008
Response by poster: Oh, and for the record, accoustic is not a requirement or even a priority: I just don't like a lot of distortion in my electric/electronic instruments.
posted by chudmonkey at 10:43 AM on July 12, 2008
posted by chudmonkey at 10:43 AM on July 12, 2008
I think you're going to have a hard time finding a recording like that, because the Canon, as written by Pachelbel starts out slowly (with a bunch of half notes) and gradually builds speed (ending up on a bunch of sixteenth notes). Performing the beginning part as quickly as the end, or skipping it altogether is not a question of arrangement - to do so would be to completely rewrite the piece. (Arrangement has more to do with what instruments perform the piece, not with fundamentally altering the melody.) So, I'm betting that you won't find classical recordings that do that, and the non-classical versions will tend to be cannibalized (as evidenced by the examples posted above).
With that in mind, realistically, I think you have two options. One, find a recording where the fast part is to your liking, and then play only the end during the ceremony. (You could, for instance, take the sound file, cut out the intro, and then do a quick fade in to the part you want.) The other option would be to hire a competent musician and ask him or her to improvise a quicker opening for you, before playing the faster part.
posted by epimorph at 10:55 AM on July 12, 2008
With that in mind, realistically, I think you have two options. One, find a recording where the fast part is to your liking, and then play only the end during the ceremony. (You could, for instance, take the sound file, cut out the intro, and then do a quick fade in to the part you want.) The other option would be to hire a competent musician and ask him or her to improvise a quicker opening for you, before playing the faster part.
posted by epimorph at 10:55 AM on July 12, 2008
The inimitable Ronald Jenkees has a Pachelbel jam. A bit more polished on his CD.
posted by limon at 11:24 AM on July 12, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by limon at 11:24 AM on July 12, 2008 [1 favorite]
chudmonkey tells me that the rhapsody link doesn't work outside the US. Here's a live version of the song on youtube.
posted by felix betachat at 11:28 AM on July 12, 2008
posted by felix betachat at 11:28 AM on July 12, 2008
The clearest way I can say it is that I would like a version performed on nice, distortion free instruments (or even a single instrument) that jumps quickly into the piece's famous melody.
Could you just take a traditional recording and edit it to start it at the part you like? The beginning slower section of Pachelbel's Canon is so lengthily that you can either have it or skip it; I can't think of a good way to segue into the more energetic part that wouldn't have basically the same effect of just starting there.
For instance, in this youtube recorded version to illustrate you could start around 1:53 or 2:27, etc. I think it the traditional violins have a really celebratory sound.
If you're dedicated enough to commissioning a pay for a new writing and recording, why not just hire live musicians? They should be more than able to play the music in the way you wish.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 11:40 AM on July 12, 2008
Could you just take a traditional recording and edit it to start it at the part you like? The beginning slower section of Pachelbel's Canon is so lengthily that you can either have it or skip it; I can't think of a good way to segue into the more energetic part that wouldn't have basically the same effect of just starting there.
For instance, in this youtube recorded version to illustrate you could start around 1:53 or 2:27, etc. I think it the traditional violins have a really celebratory sound.
If you're dedicated enough to commissioning a pay for a new writing and recording, why not just hire live musicians? They should be more than able to play the music in the way you wish.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 11:40 AM on July 12, 2008
I'm sorry, that sentence is a mess. If you're dedicated enough to commision and pay for a new writing and recording...
posted by Solon and Thanks at 11:42 AM on July 12, 2008
posted by Solon and Thanks at 11:42 AM on July 12, 2008
Continuo's Meditations on Pachelbel's Canon.
You can preview clips at the Amazon link.
You can't hear it in the sample of "Intro," but the tempo and arrangement at 2:03 (in the 9:22) point gets peppy and celebratory. As well, there are other such snippets in the other tracks.
posted by ericb at 12:22 PM on July 12, 2008
You can preview clips at the Amazon link.
You can't hear it in the sample of "Intro," but the tempo and arrangement at 2:03 (in the 9:22) point gets peppy and celebratory. As well, there are other such snippets in the other tracks.
posted by ericb at 12:22 PM on July 12, 2008
Feliz Betachat beat me to it. So I'll second Ratatat's Tacobell Canon.
posted by HighTechUnderpants at 3:09 PM on July 12, 2008
posted by HighTechUnderpants at 3:09 PM on July 12, 2008
Having played Canon about 9 million times when I played violin, I would second Solon and Thanks' suggestion. Either find a recording you like and start it at the part in the song at 1:53 in the YouTube link he provided, OR hire a violinst (or quartet depending on how much you're able to spend) to play the song starting at that part. Any musician should be able to play the song sped up with peppiness to your liking.
posted by geeky at 3:55 PM on July 12, 2008
posted by geeky at 3:55 PM on July 12, 2008
I like the George Winston version, Variations on Pachelbel's Canon in D. It's on the December album. You might use the quieter parts elsewhere in the service and save the celebratory part for the kiss/recessional.
posted by theora55 at 10:13 AM on July 13, 2008
posted by theora55 at 10:13 AM on July 13, 2008
I've always liked the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet's version - Pachelbel's "Loose" Canon.
posted by FreezBoy at 6:07 AM on July 14, 2008
posted by FreezBoy at 6:07 AM on July 14, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jedicus at 10:01 AM on July 12, 2008