E-flat major (or the key of E-flat) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its

key signature In Western musical notation, a key signature is a set of sharp (), flat (), or rarely, natural () symbols placed on the staff at the beginning of a section of music. The initial key signature in a piece is placed immediately after the clef a ...

has three

flats Flat or flats may refer to: Architecture * Flat (housing), an apartment in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other Commonwealth countries Arts and entertainment * Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch * Flat (soldier), ...

. Its

relative minor In music, relative keys are the major and minor scales that have the same key signatures (enharmonically equivalent), meaning that they share all the same notes but are arranged in a different order of whole steps and half steps. A pair of major an ...

C minor C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of three flats. Its relative major is E major and its parallel major is C major. The C natural minor scale is: : Cha ...

, and its

parallel minor In music theory, a major scale and a minor scale that have the same tonic note are called parallel keys and are said to be in a parallel relationship. Forte, Allen (1979). ''Tonal Harmony'', p.9. 3rd edition. Holt, Rinehart, and Wilson. . "When ...

E minor E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major. The E natural minor scale is: : Changes needed ...

, (or enharmonically D minor). The E-flat major scale is: :

Characteristics

The key of E-flat major is often associated with bold, heroic music, in part because of

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

's usage. His ''Eroica Symphony'', ''Emperor Concerto'' and ''Grand Sonata'' are all in this key. Beethoven's (hypothetical) 10th Symphony is also in E-flat. But even before Beethoven, Francesco Galeazzi identified E-flat major as "a heroic key, extremely majestic, grave and serious: in all these features it is superior to that of C." Three of Mozart's completed

Horn Concertos Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...

and Joseph Haydn's Trumpet Concerto are in E-flat major, and so is Anton Bruckner's Fourth Symphony with its prominent horn theme in the first movement. Another notable heroic piece in the key of E-flat major is Richard Strauss's ''

A Hero's Life ''Ein Heldenleben'' (''A Hero's Life''), Opus number, Op. 40, is a tone poem by Richard Strauss. The work was completed in 1898. It was his eighth work in the genre, and exceeded any of its predecessors in its orchestral demands. Generally agre ...

''. The heroic theme from the Jupiter movement of Holst's ''

The Planets ''The Planets'', Op. 32, is a seven- movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1917. In the last movement the orchestra is joined by a wordless female chorus. Each movement of the suite is name ...

'' is in E-flat major. Mahler's vast and heroic Eighth Symphony is in E-flat and his Second Symphony also ends in this key. However, in the Classical period, E-flat major was not limited to solely bombastic brass music. "E-flat was the key

Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...

chose most often for

tring Tring is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Dacorum, Hertfordshire, England. It is situated in a gap passing through the Chiltern Hills, classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from Central London. Tring is linked to ...

quartets, ten times in all, and in every other case he wrote the slow movement in the dominant, B-flat major." Or "when composing church music and operatic music in E-flat major, osephHaydn often substituted cors anglais for

oboes The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

in this period", and also in Symphony No. 22. For Mozart, E-flat major was associated with Freemasonry; "E-flat evoked stateliness and an almost religious character." Edward Elgar wrote his Variation IX "Nimrod" from the ''

Enigma Variations Edward Elgar composed his ''Variations on an Original Theme'', Op. 36, popularly known as the ''Enigma Variations'', between October 1898 and February 1899. It is an orchestral work comprising fourteen variations on an original theme. Elgar ...

'' in E-flat major. Its strong, yet vulnerable character has led the piece to become a staple at funerals, especially in Great Britain. Shostakovich used the E-flat major scale to sarcastically evoke military glory in his Symphony No. 9.

Well-known compositions in this key

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

** Cello Suite No. 4, BWV 1010 ** Prelude & Fugue in E-flat major "St. Anne", BWV 552 *

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

** Septet for Strings and Woodwinds, Op. 20 ** Symphony No. 3, Op. 55 "Eroica" ** Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73 "Emperor" ** Piano Sonata No. 4, Op. 7 "Grand Sonata" ** Piano Sonata No. 18, Op. 31/3 "The Hunt" ** Piano Sonata No. 26, Op. 81a "Les Adieux" ** Piano Trio in E-flat major, Op.70 No.2 ** Sextet for Horns and String Quartet, Op. 81b ** String Quartet No. 10, Op. 74 ** String Quartet No. 12, Op. 127 * Johannes Brahms ** Intermezzo for piano op. 117/1 ** Rhapsody for piano op. 119/4 ** Clarinet Sonata op. 120/2 ** Horn trio op. 40 *

Max Bruch Max Bruch (6 January 1838 – 2 October 1920) was a German Romantic composer, violinist, teacher, and conductor who wrote more than 200 works, including three violin concertos, the first of which has become a prominent staple of the standard ...

** '' Scottish Fantasy'' in E-flat major, Op. 46 * Anton Bruckner ** Symphony No. 4, WAB 104 "Romantic" * Frédéric Chopin ** Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 9, No. 2 ** Étude in E-flat, Op. 10, No. 11 ** Grande valse brillante, Op. 18 **

Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante in E-flat major, Opus number, Op. 22, was composed by Frédéric Chopin between 1830 and 1834. The ''Grande polonaise brillante'' in E-flat, set for piano and orchestra, was written first, in 1830-31. ...

, Op. 22 ** Prelude in E-flat, Op. 28, No. 19 ** Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 55, No. 2 * Antonín Dvořák ** String Quartet Op. 51 ** String Quintet Op. 97 * Edward Elgar ** Variations on an Original Theme, Variation IX "Nimrod" * Joseph Haydn ** String Quartet Op. 33 No. 2, "The Joke" ** Symphony No. 22, Hob.I:22 "Philosopher" ** Symphony No. 103, Hob.I:103 "Drumroll" ** Trumpet Concerto, Hob.VIIe:1 ** Piano Sonata in E-flat, No. 59, Hob.XVI/49 ** Piano Sonata in E-flat, No. 62, Hob XVI/52 * Franz Liszt ** Piano Concerto No. 1, S.124 ** Transcendental Étude No. 7 "Eroica" * Gustav Mahler ** Symphony No. 8, "The Symphony of a Thousand" * Felix Mendelssohn ** Octet, Op. 20 *

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

** Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271 "Jeunehomme" ** Piano Concerto No. 10 for two pianos, K. 365/316a ** Piano Concerto No. 14, K. 449 ** Quintet for Piano and Winds, K. 452 ** Piano Concerto No. 22, K. 482 ** Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola, K. 364/320d ** Symphony No. 39, K. 543 *

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wo ...

** Impromptu in E-flat, Op. 90 No. 2 ** Piano Trio No. 2 (Schubert) * Robert Schumann ** Symphony No. 3, Op. 97 "Rhenish" ** Piano Quintet, Op. 44 ** Piano Quartet Op. 47 * Dmitri Shostakovich ** Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 107 ** Symphony No. 9, Op. 70 *

Jean Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

** Symphony No. 5, Op. 82 *

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dis ...

The Stars and Stripes Forever "The Stars and Stripes Forever" is a patriotic American march written and composed by John Philip Sousa in 1896. By a 1987 act of the U.S. Congress, it is the official National March of the United States of America. History In his 1928 autob ...

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most pop ...

** 1812 Overture, Op. 49 * Richard Wagner **Prelude to ''

Das Rheingold ''Das Rheingold'' (; ''The Rhinegold''), WWV 86A, is the first of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's '' Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was performed, as a single opera, at the National ...

Notes

External links

* {{Circle of fifths Musical keys Major scales