Blogging Pachelbel #6 — London Philharmonic

This is yet another “professional” performance, and sounds like nothing more than a sight-reading session from unedited parts. All non-slurred notes are aggressively detached, and the 8/16 octaves of the bass line are aggressively out of tune (as though it was no accident). There is no dynamic contrast — they just play the notes. There is no change of affect anywhere, and no subtlety at all — a moderately-talented grade-school orchestra could be more musical than these jokers.

If the only recording of the Pachelbel canon that you’ve ever heard is this one, you’ve simply never heard the Pachelbel Canon.