List of major/minor compositions

Major/minor compositions are musical compositions that begin in a major key and end in a minor key (generally the parallel minor), specifying the keynote (as C major/minor). This is a very unusual form in tonal music,^[1] although examples became more common in the nineteenth century.^[2] There are far fewer major/minor compositions than minor/major ones^[3] (the latter category of which includes, but is not limited to, all minor-key works that end with a Picardy third, as well as many Classical- and Romantic-period symphonies, concertos, sonatas and chamber works, and individual movements thereof.)

The major/minor compositions in the following lists do not necessarily end with a minor chord; a final passage in minor ending with a sonority that fails to re-establish the major mode (for example, an open octave or fifth) is sufficient.

Works falling into the following categories are excluded:

• Compositions that would be major/minor but for a final Picardy third stipulated by the composer, such as Bach's Cantata BWV 40 or Poulenc's Vinea mea electa from Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence (FP 97)
• Compositions in which the beginning only hints at a possible reading of a major key without really establishing it, such as the Brahms Clarinet Quintet
• Compositions in which the opening major chord merely serves a function (e.g. dominant or Neapolitan) in the ensuing minor key, without being tonicized in its own right, such as Saint-Saëns' Danse macabre or Chopin's first Ballade
• Compositions that are only incidentally major/minor due to being unfinished, without any indication that the composer intended them to be major/minor, such as Schubert's Piano Sonata in C, D. 840
• Frequently performed portions of a larger work consisting of what is technically two separate movements, if the first of these finishes with a full close (and thus doesn't require continuation), such as the opening pair of movements in Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op. 109

Major/minor compositions retaining the keynote

Single works and miniatures

• Alkan – Chant d'amour - chant de mort, Op. 35 No. 10 (G♭-f♯)^[4]
• Alkan – Esquisse Op. 63 No. 7 "Le frisson" (F♯)^[5]
• Alkan – Prière Op. 64 No. 10 (B♭)
• Bax – The Devil that Tempted St. Anthony (F)
• Brahms – Jägerlied Op. 66/4 (C)
• Brahms – Rhapsody Op. 119 No. 4 in E♭^[6]
• Busoni – Sonatina No. 6 in A, BV 284
• Cavallini - Caprice for clarinet Op. 4 No. 4 (E)
• Chopin – Nocturne Op. 32 No. 1 in B^[7][8] (final chord sometimes changed to major)
• Coste – Le Départ, Op. 31 (E)
• Fibich – Malířské Studie (Studies on Painters), No. 2, Spor Masopustu s Postem (The Fight Between Carnival and Lent) in C
• Franck – Fantaisie in A, from Trois Pièces for organ (1878) (A)
• Fuchs – Andante grazio and Capriccio Op. 63 (A)
• Heidrich – Variations on "Happy Birthday" (C)
• Heinrich – The President's Funeral March (E)
• Lalo – Fantaisie norvégienne in A
• Lecuona – La 32, No. 6 of Siete Danzas Cubanas Tipicas (G♭-f♯)
• Mendelssohn – Andante Cantabile e Presto Agitato in B^[9]
• Mendelssohn – Capriccio brillante for piano and orchestra in B, Op. 22 ^[10]
• Mendelssohn – Capriccio in E, Op. 118 (1837) ^[9]
• Mendelssohn – Characteristic Piece Op. 7 No. 7 in E (a "reverse Picardy third")^[11]
• Mendelssohn – Rondo Capriccioso in E, Op. 14^[9][12]
• de Momigny – La Nouvelle Valentine (A)
• Mozart – Violin Sonata in A, K. 402/385e (completed by Maximilian Stadler; the work has only one movement)
• Poulenc – Amoureuses, FP 77 No. 5 (F)
• Purcell – Awake, ye dead, Z. 182 (C)
• Purcell – The earth trembled, Z. 197 (A)^[13]
• Purcell – Love arms himself in Celia's eyes, Z. 392 (C)^[14]
• Purcell – Oh! fair Cedaria, Z. 402 (C) (some performances add a Picardy third)
• Purcell – This poet sings the Trojan wars (Anacreon's defeat), Z. 423 (C)
• Rachmaninoff – K Djétjam (To the Children), Op. 26 No. 7, from "Fifteen Romances" of Op.26 (F)
• Reicha – L'Art de Varier, Op. 57 (F)^[15]
• Reicha – Fugue, Op. 36 No. 32 (E♭)
• Rheinberger – Toccata Op. 12 (G)
• Satie – Gymnopédie No. 1 (D)^[16]
• A. Scarlatti – Se Florindo e fedele (A♭) (ends on an open octave in an A♭ minor context)
• D. Scarlatti – Keyboard Sonata K. 63 (L. 84) in G ("Capriccio") (ending sometimes changed to major)
• D. Scarlatti – Keyboard Sonata K. 107 (L. 474) in F^[17]
• D. Scarlatti – Keyboard Sonata K. 140 (L. 107) in D^[18]:165
• D. Scarlatti – Keyboard Sonata K. 182 (L. 139) in A
• D. Scarlatti – Keyboard Sonata K. 206 (L. 257) in E
• D. Scarlatti – Keyboard Sonata K. 297 (L.S. 19) in F^[18]:166
• Scriabin – Mazurka in F (1889)
• Schubert – Impromptu Op. 90 No. 2 in E♭^[19]
• Schubert – Moment Musical No. 6 in A♭ (ends on an open octave in an A♭ minor context)^[20]
• Schubert – Am Bach in Frühling, D. 361 (D♭-c♯)
• Schubert – An den Mond, D. 468 (A)
• Schubert – Tränenregen (No. 10 of Die Schöne Müllerin) (A)^[21]
• Schubert – Die böse Farbe (No. 17 of Die Schöne Müllerin) (B)^[22]
• Schubert – Frühlingstraum (No. 11 of Winterreise) (A)^[23]
• C. Schumann – Romance, op. 5 no. 3 (B)^[24]
• C. Schumann or Friedrich Wieck – Der Wanderer in der Sägemühle (C)
• R. Schumann – No. 17 of Davidsbündlertänze, Opus 6 (B)^[25]
• R. Schumann – Der Handschuh, Op. 87 (D)
• Sibelius – Impromptu, Opus 5 No. 6 in E
• Sibelius – Valse triste, op. 44 no. 1 (G)
• Soler – Keyboard Sonata R. 6 in F
• Strauss – Don Juan, Op. 20 (E)^[26]
• Tchaikovsky – To Forget So Soon, TH 94 (F)^[27]
• Tchaikovsky – Valse-Scherzo Op. 7 in A
• Voříšek – Fantasia for piano, Op. 12 (C)

Movements from larger works

• Arriaga - Symphony in D major, i
• Beethoven – Piano trio No. 6 in E♭ major, ii (C)^[28]
• Beethoven – Violin Sonata No. 9, "Kreutzer", i (A)^[29]
• Beethoven – Piano Quartet No. 1 in E♭ WoO 36, i (and ii) (E♭)^[30] (although sometimes construed as two separate movements, they are not really separable as the first ends with a half-cadence leading into the second)
• Lennox Berkeley – Three Pieces for solo clarinet, iii (G)
• Catalani – La Wally, "Ebben, ne andrò lontana" (E)
• Chausson – Piano Trio in G minor, iv (G)^[31]
• Chausson – Poème de l'amour et de la mer, i (G)
• Couperin – Pieces de clavecin, Troisieme livre, "L'enjouée" (G)
• Dvořák – Piano Trio ("Dumky") Op. 90 in E minor, v (E♭)
• Fuchs – String Trio Op. 61/1, i (E)
• Handel – Jephtha, "All That Is in Hamor Mine" (G)^[32]
• Handel – Messiah, "All We Like Sheep" (F) ^[33]
• Handel – Serse, "Per dar fine alla mia pena" (G)
• Lalo – Concerto Russe, Opus 29, i (G)
• Lalo – Symphonie espagnole, Opus 21, ii (G)
• Lalo – Symphony in G Minor, ii (scherzo) (E)^[34]
• Lazzari – String Quartet in A minor Op. 17, iv (A)
• Marais – Sonata à la Marésienne (La Gamme et Autres Morceaux de Simphonie 1723), iii (C)
• Marpurg – Cinqième Suite de Pièces de Clavecin, v (G)
• Mendelssohn – String Quartet Op. 13, i (A)^[35]
• Mendelssohn – String Symphony No. 11, i (F)
• Mendelssohn – Symphony No.5, Op.107 ("Reformation"), i (D)^[36]
• Mozart – The Magic Flute, Quintet (Wie? Wie? Wie? Ihr an diesem Schreckensort?), Act II (G)
• Mozart – Sonata for Violin and Piano K. 379, i (G)^[30]
• Mozart – Overture-Allemande (both movements played without pause) from Suite, K. 399/385i (C)
• Poulenc – Cello Sonata FP 143, i (E)
• Poulenc – Concert champêtre for Harpsichord and Orchestra, iii (D)
• Poulenc – Oboe Sonata FP 185, ii (B♭)
• Ries – Piano Concerto No. 3 in C♯ minor, Op. 55, iii (C♯)
• Sibelius – Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63, iv (A) ^[37]
• Tchaikovsky – Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50, iiB (A)^[38]
• Vivaldi – Concerto for Strings & Continuo in G, R151 ("Alla Rustica"), i (G)^[39]
• Weinberg – String Quartet No. 4 in E♭, Op. 20, iv (E♭)^[40]

Multi-movement works

• Aimon – String Quartet Op. 7 (E)
• Alfvén – Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 11
• Alkan – Sonate de Concert for Cello and Piano in E, Op. 47
• Boieldieu – Harp Concerto in C
• Brahms – Piano Trio No. 1 in B, Op. 8 (both versions)^[41][42]
• Couperin – Troisième Concert from Concerts Royaux (A)
• Couperin – Ordre 12ème de clavecin (E)
• Dvořák – Czech Suite in D, Op. 39 ^[43]
• Fuchs – Piano Sonata Op. 19 (G♭-f♯) ^[44]
• Fuchs – String Quartet Op. 58 (E)
• Fuchs – String Trio Op. 61/1 (E)
• Gigout – Deux Interludes pour orgue ou harmonium (C)
• Handel – Concerto Grosso Op. 3 No. 6 in D^[45]
• Hummel – Cello Sonata Op. 104 in A^[46]
• Lalo – Concerto Russe, Op. 29 in G
• Marpurg – Troisième Suite de Pièces de Clavecin (C)
• Marpurg – Cinqième Suite de Pièces de Clavecin (G)
• Mendelssohn – String Symphony No. 11 (F)
• Mendelssohn – Symphony No. 4 in A, "Italian"^[42]
• Poulenc – Sonata for Clarinet and Bassoon in D, FP 32a
• Rachmaninoff – Suite for Two Pianos No. 2 in C
• Rameau – Suite No. 5 in G from Nouvelles Pièces de clavecin^[47]
• Ries – Cello Sonata Op. 21 in A
• P. Scharwenka – 2 Tanz-Impromptus Op. 86 (F♯)
• Shostakovich – String Quartet No. 2 in A, Op. 68^[48][49]
• Smith – Ouverture-Suite in G
• Voříšek – Violin Sonata in G, Op. 5
• Gottfried Weber – Keyboard Sonata in C, Op. 15
• Weinberg – String Quartet No. 4 in E♭, Op. 20^[40]

Major/minor works changing the keynote

• Albéniz – Córdoba, No. 4 of Cantos de España, Opus 232 (F-d)
• Alkan – Grande Sonate, op. 33 (D-g♯)
• Alkan – Prière, Op. 66 No. 7 (C-a)
• Beethoven – Cello Sonata No. 4 in C, Op. 102 No. 1, i (C-a)^[50]
• Beethoven – String Quartet in e, Op. 59 No. 2 (Rasoumovsky Quartet No. 2), iv (C-e)^[51]
• Bernstein – Chichester Psalms (B♭-g)
• Berlioz – Requiem (Grande Messe des Morts), Op. 5, viii, Hostias (G-b♭)
• Bizet – Symphony in C major, ii (F-a)
• Brahms – Du mein einzig Licht, WoO 33 No. 37 (A-f♯)
• Brahms – Vom Strande, Op. 69 No. 6 (F-a)
• Chausson – Poème de l'amour et de la mer (G-d)
• Chausson – Poème de l'amour et de la mer, ii (actually the third movement, counting an unnumbered interlude) (E-d)
• Chopin – Ballade No. 2 (F-a)
• Couperin – Ordre 25ème de clavecin (E♭-c)
• Debussy – Suite bergamasque (F-f♯)
• Dvořák – The Noon Witch (C-a)
• Enescu – Cantabile e Presto for flute and piano, 1904 (E♭-g)
• Enescu – Nocturne e Saltarello for cello and piano, 1897 (F-a)
• Fuchs – Serenade in D Op. 9, ii (B♭-g)
• Handel – Belshazzar, Chorus of Babylonians: "Ye tutelar gods of our empire, look down" (G-e)
• Handel – Concerto Grosso Op. 3 No. 1 (B♭-g)
• Handel – Suite for Harpsichord No. 2 in F, HWV 427, i (F-a)
• Miriam Hyde – "Marsh Birds" for Flute and Piano (D-b)
• Lalo – Rapsodie norvégienne (A-d)
• Massenet – Piano Concerto (E♭-c)
• Mozart – Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio), Aria, "Solche Hergelauf'ne Laffen" (F-a)
• Mozart (completed by Süssmayr) – Requiem, VII. Communio (B♭-d) (ends on an open fifth in a D minor context)
• Mozart – Preludes K. 284a/395, iii (B♭-c)
• Mozart – Preludes and Fugues K. 404, v (E♭-c)
• Mozart – Modulating Prelude, K. deest (F-e)
• Mussorgsky (completed by Stravinsky) – Khovanshchina (E-g♯)
• Poulenc – Piano Sextet, ii (D♭-a♭)
• Poulenc – Suite Francaise FP 80, ii (F-d)
• Poulenc – Trio pour piano hautbois et basson, ii (B♭-f)
• Poulenc – Gloria FP 177, i (G-b)
• Poulenc – Oboe Sonata FP 185 (G-a♭)
• Rheinberger – Piano Sonata Op. 47 (C-a)
• Satie – Gnossiennes Nos. 5 (G-e) and 6 (F-c)
• Schoenberg – Chamber Symphony No. 2, Op. 38, ii (G-e♭)
• Schubert – Die Nonne, D. 212 (A♭-f)
• Schubert – Grablied, D. 218 (A♭-f)
• Schubert – Erster Verlust, D. 226 (A♭-f)
• Schubert – Deutscher Tanz, D. 365 No. 22 (Op. 9 No. 22) (B-g♯)
• Schubert – Ritter Toggenburg, D. 397 (F-b♭)
• Schubert – Der Herbstabend, D. 405 (A♭-f)
• Schubert – Klage an den Mond, D. 436 (F-d)^[52]
• Schubert – Edone, D. 445 (E♭-c)
• Schubert – Liedesend, D. 473 (E♭-e, both versions)
• Schubert – Didone Abbandonata, D. 510 (E♭-f)
• Schubert – Auf der Donau, D. 553 (Op. 21 No. 1) (E♭-f♯)^[53]
• Schubert – Der Pilgrim, D. 794 (Op. 37 No. 1) (D-b, originally E-c♯)
• Schumann – Réplique, No. 8 of Carnaval (B♭-g)^[54]
• Schumann – No. 16 of Davidsbündlertänze (G-b)
• Schumann – Kreisleriana, No. 4 (B♭-d) (first edition only)
• Smetana – The Bartered Bride, Aria, "Kdybych se co takového" (B♭-g)
• Tchaikovsky – The Sleeping Beauty – Finale and Apotheosis (D-g)
• Tchaikovsky – Six Pieces Op. 21, No. 1 "Prelude" (B-g♯)
• Vaughan Williams – Three Shakespeare Songs, "The Cloud Capp'd Towers" (reverse Picardy) (D-f)

See also

• Tonality
• Parallel key
• Progressive tonality

References

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