Although it’s entirely subjective, and boils down to the choice of the composer, pieces are written in different keys for a reason. Music scholars and composers have weighed in over the centuries about the characteristics of the different keys, and rarely come to a consensus. For F Major, several descriptions include words like ‘calm,’ ‘mild,’ and ‘contemplative.’ There’s also a bit of an association with rustic or pastoral scenes, helped along in no small way by Beethoven.
The Pastoral Key of F Major
Here are the 11 selections used (click and scroll down to make them visible):
- Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral”
- Dvorak: String Quartet No. 12, op. 96 “American”
- Joplin: Solace
- Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21, mvt. ii
- Ravel: String Quartet
- Vivaldi: ‘Autumn’ from the Four Seasons, mvt. iii
- Brahms: Symphony No. 3
- Chopin: Ballade No. 2, op 38
- J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No 2, mvt. iii
- Schumann: Concertpiece for 4 Horns, op. 86
- Gershwin: Concerto in F (finale)
