Stoney — On Equal Tempemmenf upon Piano Music. 67 



the sorrowful note, is now the tonic (see Table on p. 65) ; after 

 which come in order ti, do, re, mi, and fa, exciting nearly the 

 same sentiments in our minds as the notes of the same names m 

 the major mode. So is absent, and in its place we have si, the _ 

 leading note of the new tonic, the impression on the mind pro- 

 duced by which may be described as prevailingly submissive. It 

 will be anticipated from these data that each minor key should 

 produce a mental effect closely allied to that of its relative major, 

 and this q[uite accords with experience. 



On the other hand, the general effect of a tonic minor is usually 

 broadly contrasted with that of its major, in consequence of its 

 being three removes off, and the effect which attaches intrinsically 

 to the new key, on account of the additional flats in it, in some 

 cases contributes sensibly to the peculiar effect which modulation 

 into the tonic minor produces, although the main part of the 

 effect of a tonic minor is, of course, relative and not intrinsic. 

 The augmentation of the effect produced in this way is most 

 felt where the intrinsic effect of the new key is in consonance 

 with the natural effects produced by the minor mode. To see 

 this, compare a modulation from A major to A minor, in which 

 case there is little or none of the augmenting effect here spoken 

 of, with a modulation from F major to F minor, in which it is 

 conspicuously present. 



It will be sufficient to give one application of these principles 

 to minor keys, and as in dealing with major keys I endeavoured to 

 take the most conspicuous example, I will here take one that is less 

 prominent. In Beethoven's universally known sonata with the 

 Funeral March (Op. 26), a marvellous effect, unusually stately and 

 self-contained as well as solemn, is produced by the opening 

 phrases of the March. • To this effect the key which Beethoven 

 selected has contributed. It is not only the tonic minor of the 

 preceding movement, but it is A b minor, the key in which do, fa, 

 and si are on white notes, and therefore emphasized in comparison ' 

 with the other notes, unconsciously to the performer. These are 

 the firm, solemn, and submissive notes, and their being so em- 

 phasized appears to contribute to the peculiar effect of the opening 

 passages of the piece. The attitude of firmness thus established 

 is made to grow within the mind of the hearer by that form of 

 insistent composition of which Beethoven was such a master, 



