"Pacabel Canon"; The Greatest Work of Man?

R

Redoubtable

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I am relatively certain that the above title is the appellation by which we call this beautiful composition.
I've surely never been a musical guru or assiduous enthusiast . . .

. . . but this song must be the greatest of man's works. It's so pleasant to the ear.

What would you consider the greatest endeavor or product of humanity?
 
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Yes, Pachelbel's Canon is really a piece of art.

As for the greatest work of man ... I can't say man has done anything that would qualify as the "greatest" over all things in this world. I prefer nature's beauty. I find the more beauty in the elegant and fierce lines of a falcon's wings than in anything [insert artist here] could do. But occassionally some things do come by that catches my eye. :)
 
I am trying really hard to figure out why someone would think Mozart wrote Pachelbel's Canon...

While "greatest of work of man" is probably too broad for anything to fit, be it music, visual art, or whatever, the Canon is a strong candidate for the most perfect form of Baroque Music. The only other piece that comes close is Albinoni's Adagio in G.
 
Originally posted by %BlueSoulRobot%
Yes, Pachelbel's Canon is really a piece of art.

As for the greatest work of man ... I can't say man has done anything that would qualify as the "greatest" over all things in this world. I prefer nature's beauty. I find the more beauty in the elegant and fierce lines of a falcon's wings than in anything [insert artist here] could do. But occassionally some things do come by that catches my eye. :)
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Humans are a product of - and part of - nature. Ergo, all human works are works of nature.
 
Pachelbel's Canon is really just a progression of 8 chords repeated over and over again, with various melodies overlayed.

It is a nice piece, and beautiful because of its simplicity. It's also catchy because it's easy to follow. A similar example is Ravel's <i>Balero</i>. Ravel once said he regretted ever writing the piece, because he had written much more complex music, but still many people knew him only for that one piece. (Few people, I imagine, could name another piece by Pachelbel.)

I wouldn't put Pachelbel's Canon on my list of the greatest works of man. I'm not saying it isn't good, but in terms of sheer effort required to create it and the scope of the achievement it embodies, it's not really up there.

Compare, for example, Rachmaninov's piano concerti, Beethoven's symphonies, Mozart's operas, etc.

And if you want to move beyond music, look at Shakespeare's plays, Dickens' novels, Michelangelo's sculptures, Rubens' paintings...
 
Originally posted by %BlueSoulRobot%
Yes, Pachelbel's Canon is really a piece of art.

As for the greatest work of man ... I can't say man has done anything that would qualify as the "greatest" over all things in this world. I prefer nature's beauty. I find the more beauty in the elegant and fierce lines of a falcon's wings than in anything [insert artist here] could do. But occassionally some things do come by that catches my eye. :)
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Blue, I agree with you, nature's beauty is irresistible...everything is in harmony....man has not reached that pinnacle yet...:cool:
 
Holst is cool. I wouldn't know where to begin, actually.

beethoven
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Ahhhh!! I'm going nuts! Every time I see this word I think of that terrible movie with a dog named beethoven in it! Arhghhh! Losing sanity...must...hang...on, no let it go, would be nicer that way, without things to consider...ahgghhhhH!
 
Listen to The Future Sound Of London's rendition of it on the Lifeforms double CD---one of the best ambience CD's of all time! Also check out FSOL's Dead Cities CD---awesome!
 
Originally posted by Northwind
Humans are a product of - and part of - nature. Ergo, all human works are works of nature.
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Nature redefined through human perception. True, humans are part of nature, and in an ideal world everything should be beautiful. But we <i>are</i> human, and that means we can interpret.
 
I'm very surprised that Northwind has good taste in music. Albinoni's Adagio is brilliant.
 
I'm really a Contemporary/contemporary Jazz lover, but...

Pachelbel's Canon...pleasant, but repetitive, static, and ultimately uncreative (just consider the descending line...) Sorry...

Originally posted by Circe
Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings is also excellent.
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YES! One of my favorite Classical pieces ever.

I also love Maurice Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit and Jeux D'eau.
 
*uses reverent tone* the Canon is my favorite classical piece, i have many different versions of it...one includes ..and, i'm not kidding, that guy Zamvir guy(the one who does those pan flute types of songs) . i rarely listen to that version though..something about it kinda weirds me out.
 
Originally posted by James R
Pachelbel's Canon is really just a progression of 8 chords repeated over and over again, with various melodies overlayed.

It is a nice piece, and beautiful because of its simplicity. It's also catchy because it's easy to follow. A similar example is Ravel's <i>Balero</i>. Ravel once said he regretted ever writing the piece, because he had written much more complex music, but still many people knew him only for that one piece. (Few people, I imagine, could name another piece by Pachelbel.)

I wouldn't put Pachelbel's Canon on my list of the greatest works of man. I'm not saying it isn't good, but in terms of sheer effort required to create it and the scope of the achievement it embodies, it's not really up there.

Compare, for example, Rachmaninov's piano concerti, Beethoven's symphonies, Mozart's operas, etc.

And if you want to move beyond music, look at Shakespeare's plays, Dickens' novels, Michelangelo's sculptures, Rubens' paintings...
Click to expand...

All of which is totally irrelevent. The complexity of a piece of music has nothing to do with its beauty when played. A more complex piece might pose a greater challenge to the musician, but that has nothing to do with the reaction it causes in the listener. Complexity does not equate to greatness.
 
ROFL!! "Pacabel Canon," written by Mozart... yikes, I couldn't have said something funnier if I had tried.

- Warren
 
<i>All of which is totally irrelevent.</i>

Really? All of it? Oh well... I promise to try harder for relevance in the future.

<i>Complexity does not equate to greatness.</i>

I did not claim that it does.
 
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