RE:"What kind of key"

[aq094@lafn.org (Eugene Selig)]

I feel certain that GG's description of himself as "f minor," when 
speaking of the musical key that best described his temperament refers to 
the sound "color." That is, if a piece is in the key of f minor, it does 
not necessitate further analysis, i.e., whether there are scales in 
harmonic, melodic, or other forms of a minor key present (there are many, 
including ethnic forms as well as modal). Indeed, there may not 
be any explicit scales involved at all. It is the COLOR of the key of f 
minor to which he was referring, I believe. Many persons with absolute 
pitch, in particular, will tell you that different keys produce (for 
them) a perception of a different tonal color. We know about Scriabin's 
infatuation with keys, ascribing different emotions to different keys.
Chopin felt it, too. Also Mozart. From his own writing, as well as 
that of musicologists on the subject, M. reserved E flat for his most 
joyous music, but wrote in d minor to convey profound grief. Works and 
passages within works (including arias from operas) were written in d 
minor. Ironically, since pitch has changed since his time (concert A has 
risen - I can't quote the exact values, so I suggest those who are 
interested look this up), the affect of different keys on certain 
composers is a function of their sound relative to the concert A of the time.