G major stands for all that is idyllic, calm, lyrical, tender - a peaceful emotion of the heart. It is not a strong key, but makes up for that in subtlety and grace. It is a very warm key. Note however that it is not a pastoral key - that is F Major.
The scale of G Major has the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F♯. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor. G is easy to play on the piano or violin.
In Baroque music, G major was regarded as the "key of benediction". Domenico Scarlatti liked it, for he wrote 69 or 12.4% of his 555 keyboard sonatas in G. Bach used it in his third and fourth Brandenburg Concertos.
Twelve of Joseph Haydn's 106 symphonies are in G major (3, 8, 18, 23, 27, 47, 54, 81, 88, 92, 94 and 100). Likewise, one of
Haydn's most famous piano trios, No. 39 (with the Gypsy Rondo), and one
of his last two complete published string quartets (Op. 77, No. 1), are
in G major. G major is also the home key of Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik,
serving as the tonic for three of its four movements. However, almost none of his large-scale works such as his symphonies or concertos are in this key; exceptions are the Piano
Concerto No. 17, Flute Concerto No. 1 and his String Quartet No. 14.
Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 10 is in G as is his second string quartet, but the most famous example is his Piano Concerto No. 4, which is gracious and has a fresh quality that evokes newly sprouting green shoots.
Another beautiful piano concerto in G is the one by Maurice Ravel, composed in 1932 and containing jazzy elements. Another work in G by Ravel is the
popular Pavane pour une infante défunte.
A wonderful G Major symphony is the Symphony No. 4 by Gustav Mahler. Also the 8th symphony by Anton Dvorak is in G.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Flute Concerto No. 1.
The Concert for flute and orchestra No. 1 in G major (KV 313) was written in 1778 by Mozart for Ferdinand De Jean, a wealthy doctor from Bonn who worked for the Dutch East India Company and was a flute enthusiast. The order called for three concertos and two or three quartets, but Mozart composed only two concertos and three quartets, and of the two concertos, the second (K. 314) was merely a reworking of an existing oboe concerto.
It is well known that Mozart disliked the flute, because the flute at that time was difficult to play due to its imperfect structure, which made it difficult to get the right sound (this has of course changed today!). Unlike Mozart's flute concerto No. 2, however, the present work was written for flute from the beginning, so it makes full use of the range of the flute at that time and brings out the characteristics of the instrument. G Major creates a warm ambiance that perfectly fits music for the soft-spoken flute.
1st movement Allegro maestoso. G major, 4/4 time, concerto-style sonata form.
2nd movement Adagio non troppo. D major, 4/4 time, sonata form.
3rd movement Rondo: Tempo di minuetto. G major, 3/4 time, rondo form.
Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Leo Hussain, conductor, with Hallfríður Ólafsdóttir, flute.
Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 4.
Beethoven began composing the piano concerto in G in 1805, the year after the first performance of his Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, and the year of the premiere of the first draft of "Leonore," the basis of Beethoven's only opera "Fidelio," and completed it in the following year, 1806.
Concertos in which solo instruments such as the piano play a prominent role accompanied by an orchestra were considered vehicles for professional solo instrumentalists to showcase their skills, and in conventional concertos, the orchestra usually plays only the role of accompanist. For example, in the opening section, the orchestra plays the melody first, and then the solo instrument suddenly appears and bangs away with heavy chords, as if it were the main actor coming on stage. Beethoven, who was full of an innovative spirit, adopted a method of starting with a soft entry by the solo piano, catching the audience of his day by surprise - something very suitable for G Major.
Beethoven also adopted the technique of creating a dialogue between the orchestra and the piano. The piano used at the time of composition was less loud than the ones of today, and therefore, in order to be on equal footing with the orchestra, the solo piano makes full use of dispersed chords and tremolos to enhance the acoustic effect, while the orchestra limits the number of instruments that appear. In the first movement, timpani and trumpet are not included, and in the second movement, only the string ensemble is playing.
1st movement Allegro moderato G major, 4/4 time. Concerto sonata form. When the piano soloist suddenly plays the gentle main theme the orchestra responds to it in B major, giving a fresh impression.
2nd movement Andante con moto in E minor, 2/2 time. Free form. The orchestra is reduced to low strings in unison, and the piano sings improvisatory and meditative music, and the dialogue continues unobtrusively.
3rd movement Rondo Vivace in G major, 2/4 time. Rondo form. Although this is in G major, the theme begins in C major.
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mariss Jansons, conductor, with Michiko Uchida, piano.
Anton Dvorak, Symphony No 8 in G
The strong influence of Brahms can be seen in Dvorak's symphonies written before the Seventh, while the Ninth, "From the New World," was greatly influenced by the music the composer heard during his stay in the United States, making the Eighth Symphony the most important work of the "Czech Composer" Dvořák. It is characterized by a Bohemian, peaceful, bright impression, typical of the key of G Major.
The symphony was composed in Vysoka, Bohemia between August and November 1889, and premiered in Prague in 1890 under the composer's baton.
1st movement Allegro con brio. G major, free sonata form. The movement begins with an introduction in G minor. The first bright theme appears in G major, led by the flute. The second theme appears in B minor in the woodwind. The minor concluding theme is also strong and bright. The piece ends with a dramatic coda.
2nd movement Adagio. C minor, free three-part form. The middle part turns to major, and the violin solo appears after the flute and oboe solos. The coda recalls the middle section. The final section is in C major and ends quietly, although there are some intense and emotional passages.
3rd movement Allegretto grazioso - Molto vivace. G minor, three-part form. A three-beat dance, not a scherzo, but a waltz.
4th movement Allegro ma non troppo. G major, free variation. The entire piece consists of a theme and 18 variations. After a fanfare introduction by the trumpet, there is a timpani solo, and the theme is quietly and slowly presented by the cello. After several slow variations, the next variation is fast and forceful. The trills of the horns are characteristic here. After the fourth variation and a short transitional phrase, the fifth variation in C minor, which corresponds to the second theme, begins. For a while, the piece develops based on this theme, and then enters a section corresponding to the recapitulation section when the introductory fanfare returns. After a short time, there is a rest before entering a glorious coda.
hr-Sinfonieorchester conducted by Manfred Honeck
Maurice Ravel, Piano Concerto in G
The Piano Concerto in G major is one of the two piano concertos composed by Maurice Ravel in his final years. It is full of lively humor and elegant lyricism, with a cheerful and flamboyant character that contrasts with the gravity of the "Piano Concerto for the Left Hand" (completed in 1930), which was composed in parallel. The work uses a wide variety of elements, including folk songs from the Basque region, Ravel's mother's birthplace, Spanish music, and jazz idioms.
1st movement. Allegramente ("brightly, joyfully"), 2/2 time, G major. Sonata form. The concerto begins with the sound of a whip, and the piccolo plays the first theme in Basque style over a duple key arpeggio played by the piano. The tempo is slightly slowed down (meno vivo), and the piano plays the second theme in B minor, which has been described as Spanish or blues. Three more themes appear in the exposition section, followed by a development section and a recapitulation section, but they are not in a conventional sonata form. The harp and woodwind cadenzas at the end of the recapitulation section are particularly original, as they precede the piano cadenza. While interspersing a faintly sentimental section in the middle, rhythmic and humorous images continue throughout, and the use of blue notes, trombone glissandos, and fluttering trumpet exclamations show the influence of jazz.
2nd movement. Adagio assai, 3/4 time, E major. A lyrical saraband-like movement, with a pseudo-classical beauty reminiscent of Ravel's "Pavane pour une infante défunte" and Satie's "Gymnopédie". The piano solo at the beginning lasts for 33 bars, or just under one-third of the total 108 bars, or more than two minutes in duration, which is unusually long for a piano concerto. The melody is in 3/4 time, but the accompaniment, which continues constantly until the end of the movement, is written as if in 6/8 time, forming a kind of polyrhythm. The beautiful tone created by this simple but exquisite music stands out among Ravel's works.
3rd movement. Presto, 2/2 time, G major. The brass instruments, especially the trumpet, play a characteristic rhythm on a drum roll, and the movement begins with a circus-like atmosphere, similar to Stravinsky's "Petrushka" or Satie's "Parade". It is a dynamic movement full of energy and humor, a complete change from the second movement. The piano is played in a toccata style, with unique use of chromatic scales shifted to the left and right octaves. In addition to the opening rhythm, a high-pitched E-flat clarinet theme, a second theme with parallel chords, and a march-like third theme in 6/8 time appear and develop. Although shorter than the first two movements, each instrument plays an active role in the skillful orchestration of Ravel, and the rhythm at the beginning of the movement closes the piece in a spectacular manner.
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano, with the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, Philippe Jordan. conductor
Pavane pour une infante défunte
The piano piece is one of Ravel's most representative masterpieces of his early years, composed while he was a student at the Paris Conservatory. Ravel dedicated it to his patroness, the Duchesse de Polignac, and it was premiered on April 5, 1902, by the Spanish pianist Ricardo Vignes.
The piece is in G major, 4/4 time. It is a beautiful piece with elegance and a Ravelian typical delicacy. Ravel later also wrote an orchestral version, which is played below.
Orchestre national de France conducted by Dalia Stasevska
Gustav Mahler, Symphony No 4 in G
Because it is the smallest of Mahler's symphonies and has a light and intimate tone, the Fourth was frequently performed from a relatively early date. Mahler's student and conductor, Bruno Walter, described it as "a pastoral song about dreaming of heavenly love." Again, this is a typical G Major work.
It has a classical four-movement structure, which foreshadows the symphonies after No. 5 with pure instrumentation (no soloists or chorus).
First movement Bedächtig. Nicht eilen. G major, 4/4 time, sonata form. The symphony begins with an introduction in B minor by flutes and bells. After three bars, the introduction changes to G major, and the first theme is played by the violin in a Haydn-like style, including ornaments. The second theme is sung slowly by the cello. In the development section, a new melody appears with four flutes in unison. This is a precursor to the theme of the fourth movement. The music then falls into chaos, until being called to order by a fanfare motive on the trumpet.
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2nd movement In gemächlicher Bewegung. Scherzo in C minor, 3/8 time, three part form. The violin solo, tuned in a harsh scordatura, plays an incoherent, silly melody. Mahler once wrote that "the Grim Reaper" plays here. This music is a good example of Mahler's parody.
3rd movement Ruhevoll (poco adagio). G major, 4/4 time, variation form. The movement begins quietly with strings, and two themes are alternately varied. From the second variation, the music gradually becomes lighter, with rapid changes in time signature, tempo, and tonality. Near the end of the movement, the music builds up rapidly, and the theme of the fourth movement in E major is played with great intensity, as if singing of victory, before ending quietly.
4th movement Sehr behaglich. G major - E major, 4/4 time. The soprano soloist naively sings of heavenly joys. The chorale-like melody sung at the end of each section was also used in the 5th movement of the 3rd Symphony. The beginning of a new section is brought about by the recurring sound of the bells
Performed by Magdalena Kožená, mezzo-soprano and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado, conductor
[With thanks to relevant public domain articles in either the German, Japanese, Dutch or English Wikipedia]