Klarinet Archive - Posting 000357.txt from 2000/10

From: SDSCHWAEG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] All keys are not the same
Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2000 18:00:59 -0400

In a message dated 10/7/00 1:12:44 PM Central Daylight Time,
leeson0@-----.net writes:

<< I think the human reaction to keys and modes is a social phenomenon not
a factual one. I think that there was a time that keys with lots of
sharps in them were considered happy, and keys with lots of flats were
considered sad, but that was also a social phenomenon too.

The idea that minor keys are used for one emotion and major keys for
another is a romantic idea, but not established at all to be a true
one. How anyone reacts to a minor key is a very personal issue, not one
inherent in the key or mode itself. >>

Okay, I can't find the book to back me up, but I seem to remember from
Educational Psychology that Plato (or was it Aristotle?) believed that there
was something inherent in each key or mode that caused people to react in a
particular way to music written in that mode. Therefore, music written in a
mode that inspired feelings of patriotism (I think it was Dorian?) was
appropriate for children to listen to, because it would help form their
characters so they would grow up to be good citizens. I can't remember which
mode was supposed to inspire debauchery, but that music was supposed to be
inappropriate for children. I'm not arguing that this is true, but merely
saying that apparently the idea that moods or feelings are inherent in
particular keys has been around for a long time. It also raises another
question, about whether or not the type of music one listens to can have a
formative effect on one's character, regardless of what key it's written in.
(Or perhaps I'm remembering all of this wrong? I hated Educational
Psychology!)
Susan Schwaegler

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