why do names of classical music pieces end in something like d minor?

Question

what if i wanted to play said piece in c major

Answer 1

Did you re-write your question?
Either that, or I misread it the first time.

"d minor" refers to the key that the composition is in.
The entire composition is never in that key, because that would be monotonous.
However, the composition begins and ends on that key.

Let's look at Mozart's Symphony no. 40 in g minor.
The first movement has its firth theme in g minor, but its second theme in the related key of Bb major.

The second movement is in another key--Eb major. It has a couple of other themes in related keys, but it begins and ends in Eb major.

The third movement is a minuet in g minor, but the trio is in G major.

The fourth movement is in g minor, but it has a second theme in Bb major. It ends in g minor, though.

Sometimes, a composer is afraid that the composition will be too gloomy if the first and last movements are in a minor key, so he writes the last movement in the parallel major key. The last movement of Beethoven's Symphony no. 5 in c minor is in C major, and the last movement of Franck's Symphony in d minor is in D major.

The important thing is to begin and end in the same place.

In reply to your second question, you can transpose anything from one one minor key to another minor key or from one major key to another major key. It takes practice, though. One time, my piano teacher told me to transpose a church hymn. I spent so long practicing and made so many mistakes, it nearly drove my family crazy.

Answer 2

If it is in D minor it would just sound wrong if you played it in a major key. If you play something like happy birthday in C minor it sounds very odd - maybe ok for a gothic birthday, but not for everyone.

However you could transpose it into another minor key if you wanted - this happens a lot when you play it on different instruments. For instance C# minor is quite easy on the piano, but that is the pretty scary D#/Eb minor on a clarinet, so it might be transposed into the easier D minor.

It's called whatever in D minor because that's the key it was originally written in. Classical composers weren't very keen on naming their pieces - most of them are just "Sonata in A" or "Etude 21" rather than having interesting names.

Answer 3

At my funeral I want NO music - none at all. I want people to squirm and wonder "Why is it so QUIET? Where did all the music go?" I will NOT do the maudlin thing of having my flute left in the open case, on a closed casket - too, too icky - just slam the lid, pop me into the spot I already own ( yup - family thing) down the street. As far a Bluette, the only sound I would associate with her demise is a flush . . . .that's usually what we do with . . . never mind . . . Did anyone else see the momentary appearance of ANOTHER I. Jones identity theft earlier this week? I reported it, and it was gone in hours. I also leave REALLY nasty responses, because the trolls erase their stuff fast, and if they report me, I have a electronic trail. It worked in getting rid of all the other ones - what do I care for a few points lost? At that rate, I could get reported about 300 more times - no skin off my nose.

Answer 4

Something else that might be missing from the other answers : the reason they say "sonata in D minor" is to distinguish it from the other sonatas that the composer may have written eg "sonata in B major".
Remember, in classical music composers did not give their pieces titles like "snowflake sonata" or "moonbeam chaconne" . Sometimes pieces do have names like this but these are given by members of the public often years after the composer has died.

Answer 5

Yes, that shows the performer(s) the original key signature in which the piece was originally written. It is only for an advice really.

Answer 6

That's the key that it's written in. If you wanted to play it in C major, you'd have to transpose it and rewrite it from minor to major.