r/classicalmusic•
bchfn1

Favourite painful moments in major keys?

Recommendation Request

My polemic is that major keys are often far sadder and more gutting than minor keys ever could be. Minor keys give you a pretty straightforward rendering of tragedy, but certain major key works feel much more like grief to me (the 'Adagio' from Schubert's String Quintet for example). I'd love to hear other people's 'major key but emotionally devastating' moments...

And here are my (very non-academic, special pleading) thoughts https://programmenotes.substack.com/p/grief-in-a-major-key

Posted Jan 25, 2026, 12:27 PM UTC

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