The 5 Best Key Changes in Classical Music 

Number 4 wasn't a key change, just a progression. And it wasn't an A flat 7, it was a an augmented sixth (German 6/5) chord which is a device in the parallel C minor. Mozart prepares us for it by giving us an F minor chord, the subdominant in C minor, then a D flat major chord which is a submedient in F minor. The A flat is in both C minor and F minor, so we accept it. It properly resolves to the tonic 6/4 and then has the V-I to satisfy us.

That blazing, heaven-storming transition from the 3rd to the 4th movements in Beethoven's 5th Symphony is one of the greatest moments in all music.

Beethoven, Pastoral Symphony #6. First movement. Oh, that smooth change through the bird calls...

Isolde’s Liebestod is absolutely one of the greatest pieces of music ever composed. Indescribably glorious as one’s soul is lifted to Heaven, just as Isolde’s soul joins Tristan’s in Heaven. One of those moments when music caresses our soul.

I incorporated that key change in Beethoven's 5th symphony in an Easter sermon a couple years ago. The dark, ominous tone that disappears into all those rumbling tympani sounded like Jesus' trial, crucifixion and burial, and that shift to that loud, bold major key 4th movement was the resurrection.

Yes, I fully agree on Beethoven's 5th symphony, third to fourth movement. During the progression there are hints of the first movement as well. One of my favorites.

Totally agree with your number 1. I always cry at this key change moment. It’s like the biggest release after so many hours of never ending never settling unrestful harmony. What a moment.‘!!! 🙏🏻💚

The second coming of the Andante theme halfway through Liszt’s Piano Sonata is golden. F-Sharp Major to G Minor - G Major and back to F-Sharp is too good.

At the opening of Act 2 of La Traviata, Alfredo sings of how happy he is that Violetta has given everything up to be with him (Lunge da lei). He then sings, "Qui presso a lei io rinascer mi sento" [Here close to her I feel myself being born again.] The key change in the orchestra always takes my breath away, given the tragedy which later befalls them both.

While I am admittedly not the biggest Bruckner fan out there, I do love how his third symphony uses the initial trumpet theme from the 1st movement to resolve the whole work into a glorious D Major at the end of the finale.

One of my all-time favorites is the transition from F major to F-sharp minor in the finale of Beethoven's 8th symphony using the C sharp/D flat as the pivotal note. Every time I listen to it I marvel at just how seamless it flows.

Thank you for the great video. Since you mention Schubert's D.960: one of my favorite moments is towards the end of the second movement of this same sonata, where C major seems to come in from nowhere. One day I finally realized (I'm not a musician) this was the exact opposite of what happened earlier in the movement: earlier it was from G#/Ab to E (relative major of the home key), a major third down; and here from G#/Ab to C, a major third up. Since then I loved this moment even more...

Schubert's D960 is unbelievable. Easily in my top handful of favorite works, and maybe my single favorite Piano Sonata. Although some think it too slow, the Richter recording never fails to floor me.

Wonderful video, thanks for posting! My own vote is for the shift from D major to D minor in the transition from the 2nd to the 3rd section of the Bach Chaconne in D minor. You think you have attained a state of peace and contentment, and then in four bars it shifts back to a deeper tragedy than ever.

Ending of the opening chorus of Bach's St Matthew passion, for sure.

Dvoraks Humoresque has a really nice transition around half way through the piece from F# major to f# minor that just sounds amazing

I would have included the key change in Beethoven's 5th piano concerto that link the last 2 movements. Simply two sustained notes which give the clarinetists time to change instruments.

I always love Schubert's modulations (for that it often brings the music up to an emotional height), but man that modulation in Sibelius' 5th Symphony is just something out of this world so outright stunning and majestic it almost reduces me to tears. Also, just for your correction the modulation in Schubert’s B flat major Sonata is not from D flat major to D major but rather from G flat major to A major and that the modulation in Sibelius’ 5th Symphony is from E flat (by D flat) to C major instead of from D flat to D.

Listening to this, and adding my feeble "like", I feel such an incredible dork.

This is basically in the same spirit as that Thomas the Tank Engine episode when they rescue the mud-bound band, and at the end they listen to the music the band plays, but they don't love the music itself being played, they just love that there is music. This video is the same. It's an enjoyment of the fact that there are key changes in these pieces at all. There are far more earth-shattering key changes around than any of these listed.

I love the finale of Mozart's 41st symphony, it never fails to get my heart rate up

One of my favorite is in Chopin's Etude op.25 n°7 "Cello". The piece is written in C# minor and oscillates between C#m and E in the beginning. At measure 21, Chopin introduces a first dissonance that goes through a progression of adjacent keys, keeping up the dissonance in a crescendo motion, until it is finally and unexpectedly resolved at the climax of the piece on a key change to E♭ at measure 27. I don't know if that can be qualified as a key change, but it definitely is a progression that ends up on an unexpected key The versions that capture this interesting progression that I've found to be the best are Pollini and Trifonov

Those famous eight bars of E Major at the end of Bolero shouldn't be omitted too.

There is a moment in the third movement of Sergei Bortkiewicz's second piano sonata in which he transitions from D-flat Major into a 4 part chorale in E-major. It is one of the most peaceful and beautiful moments there is to me. Very underrated work!

The closing moments of the Gloria from Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis" are mind blowing.

One of my favorites is in the Finale of Schumann’s Symphonic Etudes, at the beginning of the last page, the Bb major chord. Throughout the entire Finale, Schumann trains us to expect a b minor here, and when he shocks us with the major version it literally lifts you up from your seat. I can still remember hearing it for the first time as a teenager and thinking, “whoooaaaa!”

About four-and-a-half minutes into Beethoven's Emperor Concerto there is a little nine-note motif which is only indirectly related to my favorite key changes. Aleksandr Borodin took those nine notes and expanded them into the First theme of the Allegro for his Quartet No. 1 in A-major (The movement opens with an Andante not unlike Haydn's "Sunrise" Quartet. The Allegro theme is stated, restated, and developed quite energetically and even including lot of virtuosic work for the viola (Borodin himself was a 'cellist as well as being one of the most important chemists of the nineteenth century: look up the Borodin-Hunsdiecker reaction). The development becomes more and more exciting until it comes to an unexpected stop, brief _fermata_ pause, then the 'cello picks the theme up from the middle as the subject of a fugato, you'll think it's just more sunshine and frolicking in the flowers until the countersubject hits and takes us into a darker minor key and a furious minor "dogfight" style shouting match before working through a reconciliation and restatement of the "Suggested by a theme of Beethoven" theme. The second movement is, in my opinion, predictive of Shostakovich's Eighth String Quartet in some ways, the third movement Scherzo is a tribute to Mendelssohn's _Midsummer Night's Dream_ and Borodin's final movement is a rousing and challenging minor-key dance. Imagine Borodin and three of his pals in his faculty apartment with students passing through the parlor to get to the stairs to the dormitory rooms and his wife's relatives passed out on top of the piano and all the other chaos in his life.... Anyhow, when you have about forty minutes to spend exploring Borodin's first quartet, you will find it's full of modulation "Easter Eggs", as well as some amazing metrical tricks. There are a couple of recordings on RU-vid, but if you're hearing it for the first time I would recommend the one with the scrolling score.

Tristan doesn't modulate from F# to E. There is an A# included in the C# minor (not E major) Chord, clearly identifying the key as B. The resolution of C# to B is a continuation of the whole step appogiatura modulations throughout the Liebestod, and has its effect due to that relationship.

I don't notice anyone mentioning the climax to the trio from Rosenkavalier!! My GOD, if you want a shocking key-change at a climactic moment, try moving super-fast from Ab major (as the dominant to Db, the key of the piece) to a quick few chord changes culminating in a shocking E-major chord over a B in the bass, while all three women are soaring up to high Bs or similar. Then a very quick turn-around to get us back to a solid Db major.

Two more changes of key 1: the wonderful E major at the end of the adagio in Mahler's 4th symphony 2: the 8th variation (in G major) in the Enigma Variations ending on a G for the transition with the famous 9th variation "Nimrod" which is in Eb major.

Beethoven's 8th, Finale. After a couple of times hitting the ff d flat he changes on the last time to c#, and instead of going back to the home key he stays with c# = V and starts a short passage almost tutti in f# minor (!!!). I say almost tutti because for obvious reasons the timpani and brass remain silent for a few measures until they decide to jump back in and put an end to that f# minor nonsense pounding their f naturals to bring the whole orchestra back. It's just a caprice, there's no modulatory process, just a block of measures in one key and suddenly another block in another key, basically via that switch of the instrumentation.

Thank you for this beautiful video 🌟

I do not hear a "Key" change at all in the Wagner excerpt. I hear what some would call a "deceptive" progression or cadence, a simple long sustained dominant 7tn chord resolving to the sub-dominant chord.

Brahms second piano concerto second movement has a pretty amazing one 5) That's my favorite one too! 4) Not quite a key change. Just a chord progression. 3) It's okay. 2) Probably great. Haven't listened to this piece 1) Great one

I don't know if it qualifies as key change, but there is a moment in Mahler's 4th symphony in the slow third movement, a few bars before the fff outburst near the end of the movement - with horns playing ascending motive in pianissimo (pp) and then strings play glissando to non-expected key in ppp dynamic.

Thank you for this wonderful video. As a novice to classical and operatic music, I found your commentary to be very enjoyable: technical language balanced with emotional responses. I look forward to more of your videos.

Could consider also the E-natural Horn entry in Brahms 1 movement IV just before the "big tune", another C minor to C major transition.

I like that moment in Beethoven’s famous 17th Sonata lll movement, when, after many g-?-A-d goes d6/4- A-d and suddenly instead of A you hear Es- c-F-B-g-c-F-B-?-c-F-B!

you have to love the G major to B major key change at the beginning of Beethoven PC number 4

the glazunov sax concerto key change to G major was otherworldly

I don't know the exact chords, but the middle section of the last movement of Mahler 1, about 8 or 9 minutes in, when the brass makes a wholly unwarranted yet absolutely justified leap to D Major. You know the bit I mean!

Schönberg's Verklarte Nacht has some truly remarkable pivot note modulations.

What about the famous key change in the Verdi Requiem at the end of the first or second movement where the orchestra and choir have been playing and singing in a minor key. When they reach the word “Amen” they suddenly shift to a major key with a huge crescendo/diminuendo before reverting back to the previous minor key.

#1: the “F# major to E major key change” is really just a shift from steps V to IV (however streched out and exalted) in the same key of B major, which is omnipresent. Nothing to do with the keys of F# and E per se, IMO. As with several of your other examples (as pointed out), you confuse harmonic marches and patterns within the same key, with actual key changes. For a key change to occur, the first key must be firmly eatablished, and the second must also settle as such, which is clearly not the case here.

G.F. Handel, in two of his oratorios, makes key changes from minor to major in the final chorus of Act II. In Judas Maccabaeus, it's from C minor to C major; in Joseph and His Brethren, it's from D minor to D major. In neither of these cases are we talking about especially happy choruses.

Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony, first movement, from B minor to G major with one note.

My favourite is the one between bar 5 and 6 of Chopin's nocturne op. 9 no. 1. It's so atmospheric and hard hitting.

The change of key from Db major major to A major in Liszt's Un Sospiro is one of my favorites.

The coda from Vaughan Williams' _Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis._ The transition into the brightest G major sunlight.

Honorable mention has to be the final in Dvořak's 9th symphony, chilling move from E Minor to Major

All the chords during the 3rd example are written wrong, with the exception of the final D, they are in fact: Gb, Cb, Gb, F#m (with a hint at C#7) and D.

Bolero at the end shifts to E Major.

The one that comes to mind is the tutti of the first movement of Sibelius’ violin concerto, from Ab major to E major

Definitely the first 5 bars of rachmaninoff's second piano concerto. Such a subtle transformation from C minor to E major.

I'm not surprised that Beethoven and Sibelius feature here - both composers used the grand gesture plenty. Three of my favourites: first is the D Major to B-flat Major for the 'Alla Marcia' section of Beethoven 9th, final movement. The interrupted cadence (choir 'vor Gott') which takes us there is one of my favourite moments in any music. And then, second, in Sibelius 2, the 'sun coming out' D minor to D Major after what always seems like hours of pedal-d build up is right up there. Finally, Shostakovitch does much the same at the end of the 5th symphony of course, and also D minor to D Major. As for the Wagner, well the whole blessed opera builds up to that resolution, so I'd not exactly call it a change of key - more a relief that the tease is finally over!!

For me a sensational key change is one that happens immediately, not via a progression. Sibelius and Wagner, I agree are magnificent. I would add Steve Reich Electric Counterpoint 3rd movement - E Minor to C Minor (there are 7ths added too). The first time it shifts is spine-tingling and joyous.

I agree with comments about Mozart not being a modulation. But isn’t Wagner “Tristan und Isolde” also a pretty standard chord progression? I hear F#9 resolving to EM on B with E and G# pitches acting like a suspension to the resolution to BM that follows right after. So it’s really extended F#7 resolving to the home key of BM, just with the suspension at first, dominant moving to a tonic essentially.

Great, I've always wondered why a get goose-pimbles when I hear those pieces of music. Listening to the Mozart 41 in Derby Cathedral last year, the audience could not contain itself at that point and burst into applause. I've always loved the change of key in the first movement of Mozart's "Simple" Piano Sonata (when the first theme is played for the third time - I'm no technician). I listen just to get it. Mmmmmm.

In the Mahler 3 adagio, in D minor, there is a deceptive progression towards the D-major chord over 25 minutes, and the key change finally comes during the final trumpet chorale, and once the D-major chord is hit at the end of the symphony it is extended for upwards of a minute by the whole orchestra. One of the most sublime movements in all music.

This video is quite interesting. Liked it a lot, only one thing: in the Schubert sonata you wrote D flat, but in fact it is G flat, after it C flat (B) major, f sharp minor, then turns into A major. You were slipped by a fifth. And in the Sibelius at the beginning you wrote D major, instead of C major. Tiny mistakes, anyway it is awesome.

The world's most well-known common tone modulation is undoubtedly the one in the William Tell Overture. The last note of the English horn solo is G, because the pastorale section was in G major. At that movement, the trumpets begin their fanfare in E major. Their first note is B, which fits in the G major chord.

well, i have to claim that in fact the 3rd fragment shows a modulation from G flat to A. the subdominant of A is a major D chord and it passes by, but it's not the key, the new key is A major. and i can't even notice where the D flat is

my best key change is in Bach's Chaconne where the angry, lamenting and desperate d flat changes to full of hope and memories d major only to return later to the desperate d flat... a masterpiece.

That key change in the Schubert sonata is absolutely astonishing. One of the most breathtaking moments in the history of music, period.

Yes, I love the sudden change in Faure's Requiem from F to Ab to introduce the 'Lux aeterna' passage in 'Agnus Dei'. Going from the sublime to the ridiculous, was that Eric Morecambe playing the Schubert?

Elsewhere in Mosart #41 there are those upward porogressions that feel minor. they are frightening to me every time.. (i'm not up on my musicology). Try also Britten- War Requiem at the transition from "I am the enemy you killed my friend...." to "lets us sleep now..." and on thise few unaccompanied notes the tonality shifts to what will eventually be that incredibly glorious F major chorus unaccompanied that no one wants ever to end. Poulenc Gloria all of those twisting themes and cadences. Bruckner #9 more chord progression than modulation- in the last bits that were written, those descending chords are one big sigh. The whole movement seems like a clock winding down. I love all of thise moments where things are slowly turning and all of a sudden what what felt inmevitable is suddenly out of the picture.

How about the awesome key change about 10 minutes into Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Fourth Mvmt just before the low bassoon part? Not only a masterful modulation, but also in terms of dynamics, instrumentation and tone. Always gets me!

Mahler 1st symphony movement 4 - F minor to D major. Amazing stuff.

Thank you. More please.

Beethoven 8 movement 4, he switches from b minor to f major like he's just throwing one away for another, yet it's not technically a direct modulation.

Great video. I could listen to Schubert’s piano sonata in B flat Major all day every day. I wish you would’ve picked a better opera singer without a wobble, such as Birgit Nillson. Maybe next time 😉

I knew Tristan und Isolde would be on the first place before I even started the video.

Excellent choices, and plenty of worthy additions in the comments. I would add the last movement of Cesar Franck's A major sonata.

There's a serious bunch of musicologists commenting.. well worth listening.. and following up on the comments.. Thank you..

The schubert example was incorrect by an entire 4th.

We learn in harmony course, that the best way to modulate is to moderate to the fourth or the fifth, but as a matter of fact, most composer use a wider range of possibilities, not necessary by playing dominant first, as long as it feels natural

Another key change suggestion for another video: change from A major to A flat major, in Chopin's famous Etude op 25 n. 1.

Sibelius' 5th is in E-flat, not C. His 3rd and 7th are in C, but to my knowledge, the 5th begins and ends in E-flat.

A key change which is magical in my opinion is the one in "In Questa Reggia" from Puccini's "Turandot". There is a part where we kind of end in g# and expect a fall in c# minor. It comes, starts ascending and with the phrase "Principessa Lou-o-Ling" it gives us an e# and leads us straight to f# minor! It is beautiful and has so much colours, especially when sung with artistry...

I miss anything of J. S. Bach, that's what key changes are all about!

More please

First minute of Metamorphosen? THAT cadence, wow.

The Schubert bits you mention aren't in Db major and C# minor as you said, but in Gb major and F# minor! Though it does go into D major indeed.

Gotta have THAT moment in Verklarte Nacht. I'd put it no.1

5:08 and before: the relative progressions were correct, but for some reason the actual keys were off by a fifth upwards.

Also Dvorak Slavonic dance 16 A op 72 Aflat, Aflat to E bars 12/13.

The best key changes are by Bruckner by far. Nobody supasses him as being the greatest master of subbtle long term harmonic construction and continuity. For instance: the "fake" recapitulation in the 1st movement of his 6th symphony is absolutely mindblowing: Eb major and then the real home tonality of A major with a reversed presentation of the motives and musical events of the exposition: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3B6Hn3uwQ8U.html

This is my personal favourite. There are a couple of key changes before the truly amazing one appearing at: "Ist dies etwa - der Tot..." Do listen to the entire performance, if you have the time, it's well worth it. But if you're only interested in another magic key change, tune in on around 4'50''. That is something to remember and cherish! Better than any of Wagner's modulations! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8k5YJNQ1xZk.html

The Wagner example is harmonically sublime but it's still just a very simple V7 - IV - I progression in B major - not a key change

Piano sonata op 58 in B minor mvmt 4 by Chopin

Shostakovich 5, at the very end when it switches to d major

What you were saying about Tristan und Isolde, it reminds me of the opera Hadrian I saw a few years ago. I don't think it ever musically resolved until the very end...

Interesting topic. By the way, can you do the video about the most notable time signature changes in only a movement?

Great list. I would also add the Liszt Sonata, recapitulation of the second theme in B major.

Isn't the Schubert D 960 (example number 3) from G-flat major via f-sharp minor to D-major? So enharmonically F-sharp major via f-sharp minor to D-major. So not so far away and would explai that it sounds relatively smooth.

5:10 isn't this f sharp major?

Ok, so, to sum up: - #2 isn't a modulation, just a short detour through minor submediants within the same key. - #3 is a modulation, but from G-flat major to A major - not from D-flat to D. - #4, similarly, is from E-flat major to C-major, not from D-flat. - #5 is, again not a modulation at all, and in fact the furthest thing from it: the dominant (F-sharp major) deceptively "resolves" on the subdominant (E major) to then continuously go back and forth between that E major and the tonic B major (IV - I - IV - I ...) - so in fact we never even leave the primary triad of the home key. ... I love these types of videos and I'm always happy to see people making them, but pleeeeeeease check your stuff for errors, or do more research before uploading. I understand a mistake here and there, everyone makes them, but basically the only correct thing in this one is the Beethoven C minor to C major example - imagine a music student who's learning basic harmony atm seeing this and suddenly doubting their own hearing/knowledge..

I DO NOT get where he is coming from in the Schubert. I don't, sadly, have the score on front of me, but the keys coming out of the piano in the film are G flat maj, F# min, A major. The modulation isn't the same as he states, not even allowing for transposition. Weird.

What about movement 1 of Schubert Great Symphony? The last third is built entirely on key change (imho).

Agree with some of the other commenters here - some of these aren’t key changes at all. The Mozart and the Wagner are both just cadences in the tonic that’s already been established. The previous 2-3 minutes of the Liebestod tonicize E, and the exact same progression you highlight here occurs in the orchestra earlier in the aria - you could hardly argue that it changes the entire character of the music the second time around, right?