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Re: [F_MINOR] Perceived properties of keys
Well, I guess I'll chime in here. This is a subject of some interest to me,
as I am a professional piano tuner. At least for me there is no key color
perceivable on a piano tuned in equal temperament. Every interval is the
same, all the half steps are exactly the same size, all the thirds are
exactly the same size, etc. I think it may be possible that people with
perfect pitch might experience something like key color in equal
temperament, but I have no experience with perfect pitch, so I'm not sure.
I do know that if you tune a piano in an unequal temperament (sometimes
called well-temperament, or historic temperament) there can be a great
difference between keys, and it is quite interesting to play music in these
temperaments. I believe that all composers from before about 1900 would
have been influenced by well-temperament, and would be quite aware of the
differences in key color, especially if they were keyboardists, such as
Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, Handel, Mozart, Schumann, Schubert, Chopin, etc.
The thing that is most notable in the different temperaments is the width
of the thirds. A major third in equal temperament is 13.7 cents sharp. (100
cents = a half step). There are various well temperaments in which you can
have some very pure sounding thirds, but then you have to pay for this by
having some very out of tune thirds in the more remote keys. There are some
mild well temperaments in which you can quite easily play in all the keys,
usually the keys of C, F and G are quite pure sounding, and the keys with
lots of sharps or flats get quite tense sounding. This can make for some
interesting effects when modulating, it may even be a big reason for
choosing certain keys. Of course, once you start talking about other
instruments there are all sorts of other things to take into account when
listening for key color.
Here is a collection of descriptions of keys from various writings from the
past (quoted from a book by Rita Steblin):
C Major:
"Completely pure" (Schubart, 1784)
"Cheerful and pure" (Knecht, 1792)
"State of nature, virginal chastity and purity, lovely innocence of
youth" (Heinse, 1795)
"Naturalness and nobility" (Gervasoni, 1812)
"Cheerful and pure; innocence and simplicity" (Weikert, 1827)
"Simple, unadorned" (Schumann, 1835)
"Concerning the physical expression of this key, it appears to be
completely pure" (Schilling, 1835)
C-sharp minor:
"Penitential lamentation, intimate conversation with God" (Schubart, 1784)
"Despair" (Knecht, 1792; Schrader, 1827; Weikert, 1827; Ebhardt, 1830)
D major:
"Gay things and grandeur" (Rousseau, 1691)
"Joyful and very militant" (Charpentier, 1692)
"Pleasant, joyful, bright, songs of victory" (Masson, 1697)
"Songs of mirth and rejoicing; grandeur and magnificence" (Rameau, 1722)
"Martial ardour" (Hawkins, 1776)
"The key of triumph, of Hallelujahs, of war-cries, of
victory-rejoicing" (Gathy, 1835)
E-flat minor:
"Horrible, frightful" (Charpentier, 1692)
"Feelings of the anxiety of the soul's deepest distress, of brooding
despair, of blackest depression, of the most gloomy condition of the soul.
Every fear, every hesitation of the shuddering heart, breathes out of
horrible E-flat minor. If ghosts could speak, their speech would
approximate this key" (Schubart, 1784)
E major:
"Uplifting" (Junker, 1777)
"Bright" (Gretry, 1797)
B-flat minor:
"Gloomy and terrible" (Charpentier, 1692)
"Mournful songs" (Rameau, 1722)
"Preparation for suicide sounds in this key" (Schubart, 1784)
Unfortunately there are no citations for the key of f-minor in this source.
But I bet if you play a few pieces from the 1700's to about 1900, you'll
get the idea. I like the f-minor prelude in book one of Bach's well
tempered clavier.
This is a very simplistic description of a very complex and contentious
subject, but I thought you all might enjoy some of the descriptions of the
keys.
At 07:24 PM 2/29/2004 +0200, you wrote:
To second Kate's request - a fascinating subject, about which lots of
confusing (to me, an amateur musician) stuff has been written.
Cld one of the musical boffins on this list give us a comprehensive reply
- gollys, it wld be appreciated! Please include if you wld be so kind a
listing of those composers who have definitively stated key x means
colour/emotion/whatever y.....
Cordialement
Danielle
Danielle Law-Jackson
Primary address: Omdraaisvlei Farm
P O Box 494 Prieska 8940 No. Cape, So. Africa
Telephone & Facsimile: +27 (0) 53 35 3333 4
E-mail: <mailto:danielle@prieska.co.za>danielle@prieska.co.za
Cellular: 083 46 1326 7
Or:
Rhodes University: Department of Education
P O Box 94 Grahamstown 6140 E Cape, So. Africa
E-mail: <mailto:D.Law-Jackson@ru.ac.za>D.Law-Jackson@ru.ac.za
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