01 August 2014

My "Pathétique theory": composers' favorite "drama keys"

This is a theory I've been having: a composer, at least of the common-practice (and post-common-practice) type, could have a go-to key for some of his most dramatic or tragic works.

  • Bach: D minor, for his famous Toccata and Fugue and a few of his concerti.
  • Mozart: G minor, his 25th and 40th Symphonies, influenced by the Sturm und Drang movement in early German Romanticism.
  • Beethoven: C minor. His 8th "Pathétique" and 32nd Piano Sonatas, Symphony No. 5.
  • Chopin: I'm guessing C sharp minor? (Anyway, piano composers tend to like keys with more sharps or flats; they're easier to play.)
  • Tchaikovsky: B minor, for Romeo and Juliet (not the D flat major love theme, obviously), that famous part of Swan Lake, his last Symphony, also nicknamed "Pathétique".
For me, it's either D minor, B minor (спасибо, Пётр Ильич) or A minor. E minor could also be one, but probably because of all the rock I've listened to; it's a natural key for guitar.

There could also be favorite keys for triumphant or romantic music. Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff seemed to like D flat major for love themes.

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