Ground Bass: Pachelbel, Purcell & Handel

A few repeating notes. Infinite possibilities. PBO explores how Baroque composers built entire musical worlds upon a ground bass—the steady heartbeat of their music. Beginning with Purcell’s delicate chamber works and Pachelbel’s iconic Canon in D, the program expands into the vibrant orchestral textures of Muffat, Albinoni, Vivaldi, and Handel.

Whether playful, elegant, or profound, these pieces remind us that repetition is not stagnation but a foundation for endless invention.

2025/26 Season Brochure

2025/26 Season Fall Program

Join us one hour before the performance for a pre-concert talk about the program. Learn more here.

Concert Sponsor:

Susan Bach

Program

  • Johann Pachelbel
    Canon & Gigue in D Major
  • Henry Purcell
    Curtain Tune upon a Ground from Timon of Athens
  • George Frideric Handel
    Suite from Rodrigo in B-flat Major
  • Antonio Vivaldi
    Paris Concerto No 1 for strings in G Minor
©2025 Portland Baroque Orchestra