He was active primarily in Dresden, and achieved a high reputation during his lifetime, but his surviving works are few.
It was established in the 1970s that the famous Minuet in G major, previously attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach, was in fact the work of Petzold.
The sprightly melody was used in the 1965 pop music hit "A Lover's Concerto" by the American group The Toys.
As is well known, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach was appointed in Petzold's place, while the Italian composer Giovanni Alberto Ristori became the court organist.
Johann Mattheson and Ernst Ludwig Gerber both praised his skills, referring to him as "one of the most famous organists" and "one of the most pleasant church composers of the time", respectively.