Which composer wrote the famous Canon in D major, often performed at weddings?

Johann Pachelbel wrote the famous Canon in D major, often performed at weddings. The work is more precisely titled Canon and Gigue in D major, and it was written for three violins and basso continuo. Its repeating bass pattern and steadily layered melodies give it a calm, ceremonial character.

Pachelbel was a German Baroque composer and organist who worked in several central German cities, including Nuremberg, Eisenach, Erfurt, and Gotha. The canon was probably composed around 1680, although its exact date and original occasion are uncertain.

The piece became widely known in the twentieth century after recordings and arrangements brought it into popular wedding culture. This later fame can make it seem like a work originally designed for weddings, but there is no firm evidence that it was written for that purpose.

It is also often called simply “Pachelbel’s Canon.” The accompanying gigue is frequently omitted in modern performances, leaving the canon as the familiar standalone piece.