G minor is a

minor scale In music theory, the minor scale is three scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending) – rather than just two as with the major scale, which ...

based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. 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 two

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 major is

B-flat major B-flat major is a major scale based on B, with pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative minor is G minor and its parallel minor is B-flat minor. The B-flat major scale is: : Many transposing ins ...

and its parallel major is

G major G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor. The G major scale is: Notable composi ...

. According to

Paolo Pietropaolo Paolo Pietropaolo is a Canadian radio host, producer, writer and musician based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Since January 2012, he has been the host of ''In Concert'', a weekend classical music program on CBC Music.

, it is the contrarian of musical keys. It is smart, argumentative, and stubborn. The G

natural minor scale In music theory, the minor scale is three scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending) – rather than just two as with the major scale, which a ...

is: : Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary. The G

harmonic minor In music theory, the minor scale is three scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending) – rather than just two as with the major scale, which also ...

and melodic minor scales are: : :

Mozart's use of G minor

G minor has been considered the key through which

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 ...

best expressed sadness and tragedy, and many of his minor key works are in G minor, such as Piano Quartet No. 1 and String Quintet No. 4. Though Mozart touched on various minor keys in his symphonies, G minor is the only minor key he used as a main key for his numbered symphonies ( No. 25, and the famous No. 40). In the Classical period, symphonies in G minor almost always used four

horns Horns or The Horns may refer to: * Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells * The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain * ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...

, two in G and two in B alto. Another convention of G minor symphonies observed in Mozart's No. 25 and Mozart's No. 40 was the choice of

E-flat major 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 has three flats. Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor, (or enharmonically ...

, the subdominant of the relative major B, for the slow movement, with other examples including Joseph Haydn's No. 39 and

Johann Baptist Wanhal Johann Baptist Wanhal (12 May 1739 – 20 August 1813) was a Czech classical music composer. He was born in Nechanice, Bohemia, and died in Vienna. His music was well respected by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert. He was an instrumental p ...

's G minor symphony from before 1771.

James Hepokoski James Arnold Hepokoski (born 20 December 1946) is an American musicologist. He is best known for his work with Warren Darcy on developing sonata theory, first fully explained in their 2006 book ''Elements of Sonata Theory''. Life and career Ja ...

and Warren Darcy, ''Elements of Sonata Theory'' (Oxford University Press: 2006) p. 328

Notable works in G minor

Arcangelo Corelli Arcangelo Corelli (, also , , ; 17 February 1653 – 8 January 1713) was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era. His music was key in the development of the modern genres of sonata and concerto, in establishing the preeminence of th ...

** ''

Christmas Concerto Concerto grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 8 by Arcangelo Corelli, known commonly as the ''Christmas Concerto'', was commissioned by Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni and published posthumously in 1714 as part of Corelli's '' Twelve concerti grossi, Op.&nbs ...

'' * Henry Purcell ** "

Dido's Lament Dido's Lament is the aria "When I am laid in earth" from the opera ''Dido and Aeneas'' by Henry Purcell ( libretto by Nahum Tate). It is included in many classical music textbooks on account of its exemplary use of the passus duriusculus i ...

" from ''

Dido and Aeneas ''Dido and Aeneas'' (Z. 626) is an opera in a prologue and three acts, written by the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell with a libretto by Nahum Tate. The dates of the composition and first performance of the opera are uncertain. It was com ...

'' * Antonio Vivaldi **"Summer" from '' The Four Seasons'' *

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 ...

** Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001 **

Great Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542 __NOTOC__ The Great Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542, is an organ prelude and fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach. It acquired that name to distinguish it from the earlier Little Fugue in G minor, which is shorter. This piece is not to be co ...

** "Little" Fugue in G minor, BWV 578 * Joseph Haydn ** Symphony No. 83 "The Hen" * Charles-Valentin Alkan ** '' Scherzo diabolico'', Op. 39, No. 3 ** 49 Esquisses, Op. 63, no. 6 "Les cloches"; no. 26 "Petit air, Genre ancien" *

** Symphony No. 25 ** Symphony No. 40 * Felix Mendelssohn ** Piano Concerto No. 1 * Frédéric Chopin ** Ballade No. 1 ** Nocturne Op. 37, No. 1 ** Prelude Op. 28, No. 22 "Impatience" ** Cello Sonata, Op. 65 ** Polonaise in G minor Op. posth. * Franz Liszt ** Transcendental Étude No. 6 "Vision" * Johannes Brahms **

Hungarian Dance No. 5 The ''Hungarian Dances'' (german: Ungarische Tänze, links=no) by Johannes Brahms (WoO 1), are a set of 21 lively dance tunes based mostly on Hungarian themes, completed in 1879. They vary from about a minute to five minutes in length. They ...

(orchestral version) * Camille Saint-Saëns ** Piano Concerto No. 2 *

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 ...

** Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 26 *

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 ...

** Symphony No. 1, Op. 13 * Antonín Dvořák ** Slavonic Dance No. 8 * Gabriel Fauré ** Sicilienne, Op. 78 * Claude Debussy ** String Quartet, Op. 10 *

Isaac Albéniz Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual (; 29 May 1860 – 18 May 1909) was a Spanish virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is one of the foremost composers of the Post-Romantic era who also had a significant influence on his conte ...

** '' Cataluña'' * Ralph Vaughan Williams ** Mass in G minor * Sergei Rachmaninoff ** Piano Concerto No. 4 ** Prelude in G minor **

Cello Sonata A cello sonata is usually a sonata written for solo cello with piano accompaniment. The most famous Romantic-era cello sonatas are those written by Johannes Brahms and Ludwig van Beethoven. Some of the earliest cello sonatas were written in the 1 ...

Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''., group=n (27 April .S. 15 April1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, ...

** Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 16

References

External links

* {{Circle of fifths Musical keys Minor scales

Mozart's use of G minor

Notable works in G minor

See also

References

External links