Key Matters

Ivan Hewett examines five musical keys. Today: C major

Ivan Hewett examines five musical keys: D minor - 'saddest of all keys

Ivan Hewett examines five musical keys. Today: D minor.

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Ivan Hewett examines five musical keys: B flat - sad and heroic

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Ivan Hewett examines five musical keys: F sharp major

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Ivan Hewett examines five musical keys: E flat major.

Ivan Hewett explores the emotional characteristics of the musical key of E flat major.

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In this second series of Key Matters, presenter Ivan Hewett explores the question of why certain musical keys have become associated with particular moods.

For example, why is A major almost always employed by composers to write optimistic, even ecstatic music?

And how has E minor become the key of choice for portraying menace and tragedy?

Ivan meets pianist and conductor Jonathan Cohen to discuss the open optimism of A major. The music ranges from Mozart to Abba with some Carol King and Dvorak along the way.

Produced by Rosie Boulton.

Ivan Hewett explores the Key of A Major with pianist and conductor Jonathan Cohen.

Ivan Hewett talks to pianist and conductor Jonathan Cohen about A Major, the key linked to optimism and even ecstasy. From 2010.

For starters, Ivan meets pianist and conductor Jonathan Cohen to discuss the open optimism of A major.

Ivan Hewett explores the Key of A Major with Jonathan Cohen.

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For example, why is A major almost always employed by composers to write optimistic, even ecstatic music?

And how has E minor become the key of choice for portraying menace and tragedy?

Ivan is joined by pianist Kenneth Hamilton to explore the treacherous and obscure world of C sharp.

Produced by Rosie Boulton.

Ivan Hewett talks with pianist Kenneth Hamilton about the key of C sharp.

Ivan Hewett talks with pianist Kenneth Hamilton about C sharp, an obscure and treacherous key for performers. From 2010.

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For example, why is A major almost always employed by composers to write optimistic, even ecstatic music?

And how has E minor become the key of choice for portraying menace and tragedy?

Cellist and composer Philip Sheppard defines the qualities of E minor with music ranging from Brahms, Elgar and Shotakovich to The Clash.

Produced by Rosie Boulton.

Ivan Hewett talks with cellist and composer Philip Sheppard about the key of E minor.

Ivan Hewett talks with cellist and composer Philip Sheppard about E minor, the key associated with menace and doom. From 2010.

In this second series of Key Matters, presenter Ivan Hewett explores the question of why certain musical keys have become associated with particular moods. For example, why is A major almost always employed by composers to write optimistic, even ecstatic music? And how has E minor become the key of choice for portraying menace and tragedy?

Cellist and composer Philip Sheppard defines the qualities of E minor on Wednesday with music ranging from Brahms, Elgar and Shotakovich to The Clash.

Produced in Birmingham by Rosie Boulton.

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For example, why is A major almost always employed by composers to write optimistic, even ecstatic music?

And how has E minor become the key of choice for portraying menace and tragedy?

French horn player Roger Montgomery explains why F major is traditionally associated with pastoral and hunting sounds.

Produced by Rosie Boulton.

Ivan Hewett talks with French horn player Roger Montgomery about the key of F major.

Ivan Hewett talks with French horn player Roger Montgomery about F major, a key of pastoral music and hunting sounds. From 2010.

Ivan Hewett explores the question of why certain musical keys have become associated with particular moods. For example, why is A major almost always employed by composers to write optimistic, even ecstatic music? And how has E minor become the key of choice for portraying menace and tragedy?

In this programme, French horn player ,Roger Montgomery explains why F major is traditionally associated with pastoral and hunting sounds.

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For example, why is A major almost always employed by composers to write optimistic, even ecstatic music?

And how has E minor become the key of choice for portraying menace and tragedy?

Ivan talks with violinist, Daniel Hope about the majesty and glory of D major.

Produced by Rosie Boulton.

Ivan Hewett talks with violinist Daniel Hope about the Key of D major.

Ivan Hewett talks with violinist Daniel Hope about D major, a key linked to conveying a sense of majesty and glory. From 2010.

Ivan Hewett explores the question of why certain musical keys have become associated with particular moods. For example, why is A major almost always employed by composers to write optimistic, even ecstatic music? And how has E minor become the key of choice for portraying menace and tragedy?

In this programme Ivan talks with violinist, Daniel Hope about the majesty and glory of D major.

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The music ranges from Bach to Tchaikovsky, with some Metallica and Pink Floyd along the way.

Ivan Hewett explores the key of B minor with Simon Halsey.

Ivan Hewett talks to choral conductor Simon Halsey about B minor, the serious and somewhat austere key. From 2012.

In Key Matters Ivan Hewett explores the way in which different musical keys appear to have unique characteristics of their own. In this first programme, Ivan is joined by choral conductor, Simon Halsey, to explore the serious and somewhat austere key of B minor. This key seemed to acquire its flavour from Bach's use of it in his famous B Minor Mass and this tradition continued through Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor and the final heartbreaking movement of Tchaikovsky's Pathetique Symphony.

Ivan Hewett joins choral conductor Simon Halsey to explore the austere key of B Minor.

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The music ranges from Mozart to Verdi, with some Chopin and Deep Purple along the way.

Ivan Hewett explores the key of G minor with Cliff Eisen.

Ivan Hewett talks to musicologist Cliff Eisen about G minor, an angry and grief-stricken key for Mozart. From 2012.

Ivan Hewett is joined by musicologist Cliff Eisen to explore the key of G minor.

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The music ranges from Vivaldi to Britten, with some Beethoven and Schubert along the way.

Ivan Hewett explores the key of E major with Professor Paul Robertson.

Ivan Hewett talks to violinist Professor Paul Robertson about E major, a bright and ecstatic key. From 2012.

In Key Matters Ivan Hewett explores the way in which different musical keys appear to have unique characteristics of their own. In this third programme, Ivan is joined by violinist, Professor Paul Robertson, to explore the bright and energetic key of E major. This key has traditionally been employed by composers for ecstatic music, such as Spring in Vivaldi's Four Seasons. But as Paul points out, sometimes a really great composer will take the key of E major and combine it with such subtle ideas, that the results become sublime, such as the slow movement of Schubert's String Quintet.

Ivan is joined by violinist, Prof Paul Robertson, to explore the ecstatic key of E major.

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The music ranges from Bach to Schubert, with some Fleetwood Mac and Andrew Lloyd Webber along the way.

Ivan Hewett explores the key of F minor with Terence Charlston.

Ivan Hewett talks to harpsichordist Terence Charlston about F minor, an anguished and stormy key.

In Key Matters, Ivan Hewett explores the way in which different musical keys appear to have unique characteristics of their own. In this fourth programme, Ivan is joined by harpsichordist Terence Charlston, to explore the key of F minor. This is a key which acquired its unique personality for historical reasons to do with tuning systems of early keyboard instruments. Under these tuning systems, F minor didn't really work and sounded distorted and frankly, weird. Although tuning systems gradually got sorted out, composers such as Bach and later Beethoven and Schubert, remembered the distorted nature of F minor in the past and so used this key, to write anguished and stormy music.

Ivan Hewett is joined by harpsichordist Terence Charlston to explore the key of F minor.

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Producer - Rosie Boulton.

Ivan Hewett is joined by pianist Peter Donohoe to explore the key of C Minor.

Ivan meets pianist Peter Donohoe to discuss the key of C minor, and when pieces travel triumphantly to C major at the end.

They look at one of the most famous C minor pieces of all: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

Ivan Hewett explores the key of C minor with Peter Donohoe.

Ivan Hewett talks to pianist Peter Donohoe to explore the key of C minor.

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