First-class recordings of fine organ music and motets by Pachelbel seem to have been unable to plant his name in the minds of the general musical public other than as the composer of that attractive but over-recorded canon. These suites (definitely for harpsichord, not organ) are all printed in the Denkmaler der Tonkunst in Bayern series, but except for Nos 29, 32 and 33b their authorship is very questionable. Whoever wrote them, however, they contain some very impressive movements, and Pachelbel displays some intriguing rhythmic quirks on occasion.
Each of the suites consists of an allemand, courant and saraband, plus a 'gyque' [sic] in all but two cases; No 33 includes a lively 'ballett', Nos. 25, 36 and 28 a gavotte (that in A major a very jolly one); there are doubles in Nos 29 and 36. Playing on a copy of a bright-toned early Flemish instrument, Joseph Payne offers clean and vital performances, with neat ornaments; now and then, in his desire for expressiveness or to draw attention to a point, he's a bit mannered, but in general his playing is most appealing and he's recorded with total fidelity.