Music in F-sharp minor

F-sharp minor has been characterized as a somber key, a key of melancholy and a sense of being troubled. It has a lonely, pessimistic quality. But it can also be a key full of passion.

F-sharp minor is a minor scale based on F♯, consisting of the pitches F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D, and E. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative major is A major, and its parallel major is F sharp major (or enharmonic G flat major).

On the violin, the F-sharp minor scale has few open strings, which makes it sound dark and cloudy.

Very few symphonies are written in this key, Haydn's Farewell Symphony being a famous example. Dora Pejačević also wrote a symphony in this key.

We have a handful of concertos written in this key: Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 1, Scriabin's Piano Concerto, Wieniawski's Violin Concerto No. 1, Vieuxtemps' Violin Concerto No. 2, Stojowski's Piano Concerto No. 1, and Koussevitzky's Double Bass Concerto. I don't know if it has anything to do with this key, but these were concertos written by virtuosos for their own use. Hans von Bronsart also wrote a piano concerto in F sharp minor, op. 10.

As far as chamber music is concerned, we also have Haydn's Piano Trio No. 40 (Hob. XV:26) and his String Quartet Op. 50, No. 4. A very impressive example is the Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34 by Brahms. Other piano quintets in this key were written by Amy Beach, and Reynaldo Hahn. There is also a Piano Trio (Opus 1 No 1) by Cesar Franck. William Sterndale Bennett wrote a sextet in F-sharp minor; Frank Bridge wrote a Fantasy Piano Quartet in F-sharp minor; Dmitri Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 7 Op. 108 is in F-sharp minor. So it seems to be a rather popular key for chamber music with strings, and especially for combinations of piano and strings.

Piano pieces written in F-sharp minor include Schumann's Sonata No. 1, Brahms' Piano Sonata No. 2 Op. 34, Chopin's Polonaise in F♯ minor, Scriabin's Third Sonata, and Ravel's Sonatine. The slow movement of Beethoven's Hammerklavier Piano Sonata is in this key.

Handel set the sixth of his eight harpsichord suites of 1720 in F sharp minor. Apart from a prelude and a fugue from each of the two books of The Well-Tempered Clavier, Bach's only other work in F-sharp minor is the Toccata BWV 910. Mozart's only composition in the key is the second movement of his Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major.

Characteristic music in F-sharp:

Toccata in F sharp minor, BWV 910

One of Bach's early works based on earlier models, in this case the North German Toccata with distinct contrasting sections and fugal passages embedded in the rhapsodic material, as opposed to the more familiar two-movement Prelude and Fugue format. Other early Bach works that follow this sectional, Buxtehude-influenced format include the Prelude (Toccata) and Fugue in E major, BWV 566, and the Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 551, as well as the other toccatas in this series, BWV 911-916. Although the specific instrumentation is not given for any of the works, they are all strictly manualiter, as none of them calls for pedal parts. The present toccata is somewhat inconsistent, so perhaps individual sections were composed separately and later joined together. The earliest sources for the toccatas in BWV 910, 911, and 916 appear in the Andreas Bach Book, an important collection of keyboard and organ manuscripts by various composers compiled by Bach's eldest brother, Johann Christoph Bach, between 1707 and 1713. This suggests that most of these toccatas were written no later than Bach's early Weimar years, although the early North German style suggests a possible Arnstadt origin.

Pianist: Nathalia Milstein.

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 45 in F-Sharp Minor, Hob.I:45, “Farewell”

One of the most famous symphonies in F sharp minor is Haydn's Farewell Symphony. His Symphony No. 45, written in 1772, is accompanied by a story told by Haydn himself: Prince Nikolaus Esterházy and his court were staying longer than usual at the summer palace in Esterháza. The musicians had left their families in Eisenstadt and wanted to return home, and they asked Haydn to help them convey this message to the prince. Haydn put their plea into music: in the last movement, as each player finished, he extinguished the candle on his music stand and left. In the end, only 2 violins remained: Haydn himself and his concertmaster. The message was understood, and the court left for home the next day.

Il Giardino Armonico | Giovanni Antonini

Henryk Wieniawski: Violin Concerto in F-sharp minor No. 1, Op. 14

The premiere of this concerto took place in Leipzig on October 27, 1853, with Wieniawski as soloist, accompanied by the famous Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. The concerto was dedicated to the King of Prussia, who awarded the composer the Great Golden Medal of Arts and Sciences. Although the means used by Wieniawski in the Concerto in F-sharp Minor do not go beyond the style of the time, the amazing thing is that the piece was composed by a seventeen-year-old composer. His compositional style was clearly influenced by Niccolo Paganini, Karol Lipiński and Henri Vieuxtemps. The choice of key alone is reminiscent of Lipiński's Concerto No. 1 or Vieuxtemps' Concerto No. 2. What was new was Wieniawski's use of the cadenza as an integral and obligatory concerto movement. The beginning of the second movement, with the then fashionable title Preghiera (The Prayer), is reminiscent of medieval music. The contemplative mood, however, disappears with the sound of the fanfare, a jocular trumpet motif that begins the third movement. The finale, in the form of a rondo, contains folk elements reminiscent of Hungarian melodies. Full of artistic finesse and virtuoso technique, the work ends with a bravura coda.

Henryk Wieniawski - Violin Concerto Nr.1 | Ray Chen | Cristian Măcelaru | WDR Sinfonieorchester

Johannes Brahms, Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34

If Brahms hadn't been such a stickler for perfection, he might have given us a great string quintet instead of the masterpiece that is his piano quintet. When Clara Schumann got Brahms's string quintet manuscript in 1862, she loved it, saying it had strong emotion and beautiful writing for the instruments. But when Brahms turned it into a sonata for two pianos the next year, Clara thought it felt more like a rearranged piece than a proper sonata. Brahms listened to her feedback and combined both ideas into the Piano Quintet we know today. It's one of his earlier works but still highly regarded in chamber music.

The Piano Quintet was inspired by Schubert's String Quintet in C major, especially noticeable in how Brahms originally wrote it for strings and in similarities between their slow movements. It might also draw from Beethoven's "Appassionata" Sonata, starting in F minor with octaves and a main theme interrupted by fast sixteenth notes.

Brahms finished the Piano Quintet in 1864 and published it in 1865, dedicating it to Princess Anna of Hesse. Like most piano quintets written after Robert Schumann's Piano Quintet in 1842, it's scored for piano and a string quartet (two violins, viola, and cello).

Maria Ioudenitch, violin; Andrea Obiso, violin; Matthew Sinno, viola; Timotheos Petrin, cello; Chelsea Wang, piano




César Franck, Symphonic Variations
     
The Symphonic Variations (Variations symphoniques) is a piece for piano and orchestra composed by César Franck in 1885. Critics have praised it as one of his most polished works, with a perfect blend of piano and orchestra. It showcases Franck's skill in using cyclic unity, where one theme transforms into different variations. Both piano and orchestra play significant roles in developing the musical ideas. The piece is in F♯ minor, with the final movement shifting to F♯ major.

Franck dedicated the piece to Louis Diémer, who premiered Franck's symphonic poem Les Djinns in March 1885 to critical acclaim. Franck had promised Diémer a reward, and the Symphonic Variations, with a similar orchestration, was the outcome. Franck's students, such as Vincent d'Indy, Henri Duparc, Paul Dukas, and Ernest Chausson, championed his works, helping the Symphonic Variations gain popularity among major pianists. Alongside Franck's Symphony in D minor, this piece contributed significantly to his posthumous fame. Today, it is a staple of concert performances and has been recorded numerous times.

Britanee Hwee performs Franck's Symphonic Variations with the University of Washington Symphony Orchestra.




Gabriel Fauré, Pavane Op. 50 in F-sharp minor

The Pavane op. 50 in F sharp minor is a single-movement piece for a small symphony orchestra, including two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, and strings. It's dedicated to Countess Elisabeth Greffulhe, known for her beauty, grace, and light step, affectionately called "Madame ma Fée" by Fauré. At her request, Fauré added a part for a mixed choir (sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses) with lyrics by her cousin, Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac. The premiere was on November 25, 1888, performed by the Concerts Lamoureux conducted by Charles Lamoureux. Fauré's Pavane influenced Claude Debussy's passepied in Suite bergamasque and Maurice Ravel's Pavane pour une infante défunte, composed while Ravel was still studying under Fauré at the Paris Conservatoire.

Cracow Young Philharmonic conducted by Tomasz Chmiel.

Alexander Scriabin, Piano Concerto, Op. 20
    
The Piano Concerto in F sharp minor, Op. 20, is an early piece by the Russian composer Alexander Scriabin, written in 1896 when he was 24 years old. It stands out as his only concerto and is often overlooked but considered a gem in classical music. Unlike the grandeur of Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninov, or the flashy virtuosity of Liszt, Scriabin's concerto is refined and introspective, with delicate piano passages that express deeply personal emotions.

The first movement follows a classical structure but is adorned with romantic flourishes, featuring three main themes in the exposition. Its conclusion, reminiscent of Mahler's emotional depth, is particularly remarkable. The central Andante, in the bright key of F sharp major, presents five variations on a chorale-like theme, showcasing different moods and characters. The finale adopts a sonata-rondo form, with a brief development section based on earlier themes and a lengthy conclusion. While less harmonically complex than the first movement, it still evokes powerful emotions, with shifts between F sharp minor and A major and a poignant ending that leaves a lasting impression.

Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow
Conductor: Kellen Gray; Soloist: Edyta Mydlowska

Maurice Ravel, Sonatine in F-sharp minor

Maurice Ravel composed the Sonatina between 1903 and 1905 for a competition organized by a magazine that no longer exists. Ravel was the only one chosen for this competition. The term "sonatina" doesn't indicate the difficulty level but rather Ravel's preference for a classical style.

The Sonatina comprises three movements. The first movement follows a sonatina structure, rich with lovely melodies. The second movement starts with a Mozart-like irregular sectional layout, while the third movement is rhythmic, featuring occasional modulations.

Judith Valerie Engel, piano

Dmitri Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 7

Shostakovich was known for his chamber music compositions, and he established his unique approach to chamber music early in his career. Among his chamber works, the String Quartet No. 7, composed in 1960, stands out as the shortest, lasting about 13 minutes. It features a four-movement structure, although the "fourth" movement is not treated as separate, making it effectively a three-movement piece. Additionally, there are no breaks between movements; they are connected seamlessly with attacca notation by Shostakovich.

The first movement, Allegretto, begins with a descending line by the first violin, setting the tone in F♯ minor. This movement showcases a dialogue between two contrasting characters, emphasized through rhythmic patterns. The secondary theme shifts the tonal focus to E♭ minor before returning to F♯ minor in the recapitulation. The movement concludes with a major tonality, adding an expressive touch.

The second movement, Lento, starts with arpeggiation on the second violin, followed by entries from the other instruments. Shostakovich lightens the textures here compared to the outer movements, and performers are instructed to use mutes on their instruments.

The third movement, marked Allegro – Allegretto, begins forcefully, with the viola introducing a theme that develops into a fugue across all instruments. This section transitions into an Allegretto, reminiscent of a waltz, with recurring themes from the first movement interwoven. The quartet concludes with a pizzicato on the cello leading to an F♯ major triad.

Jerusalem Quartet