Are you ready for this? - What is "God", and why are we here? (Deep!)

AFFECTIVE KEY CHARACTERISTICS

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from Christian Schubart's Ideen zu einer Aesthetik der Tonkunst (1806)



C Major

Completely Pure. Its character is: innocence, simplicity, na�vety, children's talk.



C Minor

Declaration of love and at the same time the lament of unhappy love.
All languishing, longing, sighing of the love-sick soul lies in this
key.



Db Major

A leering key, degenerating into grief and rapture. It cannot laugh,
but it can smile; it cannot howl, but it can at least grimace its
crying.--Consequently only unusual characters and feelings can be
brought out in this key.



C# Minor

Penitential lamentation, intimate conversation with God, the friend and
help-meet of life; sighs of disappointed friendship and love lie in its
radius.



D Major

The key of triumph, of Hallejuahs, of war-cries, of victory-rejoicing.
Thus, the inviting symphonies, the marches, holiday songs and
heaven-rejoicing choruses are set in this key.



D Minor

Melancholy womanliness, the spleen and humours brood.



Eb Major

The key of love, of devotion, of intimate conversation with God.



D# Minor

Feelings of the anxiety of the soul's deepest distress, of brooding
despair, of blackest depresssion, of the most gloomy condition of the
soul. Every fear, every hesitation of the shuddering heart, breathes
out of horrible D# minor. If ghosts could speak, their speech would
approximate this key.



E Major

Noisy shouts of joy, laughing pleasure and not yet complete, full delight lies in E Major.



E minor

Na�ve, womanly innocent declaration of love, lament without grumbling;
sighs accompanied by few tears; this key speaks of the imminent hope of
resolving in the pure happiness of C major.


F Major

Complaisance & Calm.



F Minor

Deep depression, funereal lament, groans of misery and longing for the grave.



F# Major

Triumph over difficulty, free sigh of relief utered when hurdles are
surmounted; echo of a soul which has fiercely struggled and finally
conquered lies in all uses of this key.



F# Minor

A gloomy key: it tugs at passion as a dog biting a dress. Resentment and discontent are its language.



G Major

Everything rustic, idyllic and lyrical, every calm and satisfied
passion, every tender gratitude for true friendship and faithful
love,--in a word every gentle and peaceful emotion of the heart is
correctly expressed by this key.



G Minor

Discontent, uneasiness, worry about a failed scheme; bad-tempered gnashing of teeth; in a word: resentment and dislike.



Ab Major

Key of the grave. Death, grave, putrefaction, judgment, eternity lie in its radius.



Ab Minor

Grumbler, heart squeezed until it suffocates; wailing lament, difficult
struggle; in a word, the color of this key is everything struggling with
difficulty.



A Major

This key includes declarations of innocent love, satisfaction with one's
state of affairs; hope of seeing one's beloved again when parting;
youthful cheerfulness and trust in God.

A minor

Pious womanliness and tenderness of character.



Bb Major

Cheerful love, clear conscience, hope aspiration for a better world.



Bb minor

A quaint creature, often dressed in the garment of night. It is
somewhat surly and very seldom takes on a pleasant countenance. Mocking
God and the world; discontented with itself and with everything;
preparation for suicide sounds in this key.



B Major

Strongly coloured, announcing wild passions, composed from the most
glaring coulors. Anger, rage, jealousy, fury, despair and every burden
of the heart lies in its sphere.

B Minor

This is as it were the key of patience, of calm awaiting ones's fate and of submission to divine dispensation.



Translated by Rita Steblin in A History of Key Characteristics in the 18th and Early 19th Centuries. UMI Research Press (1983).