Editing C major (section)

==Compositions==
Twenty of [[Joseph Haydn]]'s [[List of symphonies by Joseph Haydn|106 symphonies]] are in C major, making it his second most-used key, second to [[D major]]. Of the 134 symphonies mistakenly attributed to Haydn that [[H. C. Robbins Landon]] lists in his catalog, 33 are in C major, more than any other key. Before the invention of the [[Brass instrument valve|valves]], Haydn did not write [[trumpet]] and [[timpani]] parts in his symphonies, except those in C major. Landon writes that it wasn't "until 1774 that Haydn uses trumpets and timpani in a key other than C major... and then only sparingly." Most of Haydn's symphonies in C major are labelled "festive" and are of a primarily celebratory mood.<ref>[[H. C. Robbins Landon]], ''The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn''. London: Universal Edition & Rockliff (1955): 227. "In the course of composing his first symphonies, the tonality of C major became indelibly impressed on Haydn's mind as the key of pomp, the key of C ''alto'' horns, trumpets and timpani, the vehicle for composing brilliant and festive music, although at least during this period [the 1760s] he did not always reserve the tonality of C major for this particular kind of symphony: Nos. 2, 7 and 9, and possibly Nos. 25 and 30 ... are C major symphonies without the psychological manifestations inherent in most of the later works in this key. For the rest, however, the C major path is astonishingly clear; it can be traced from its inception, in Nos. 20, 32 and 37, through No. 33 and the more mature Nos. 38 and 41 to its synthesis in the ''Maria Theresia'' (No. 48) and No. 56. It continues with No. 50 and proceeds through Nos. 60, 63, 69, 82 and 90, reaching its final culmination in No. 97."</ref> [[Wilfrid Mellers]] believed that [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s [[Symphony No. 41 (Mozart)|Symphony No. 41]], written in 'white' C major, "represented the triumph of light".<ref>[https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/1268/triumph-of-light ''Triumph of Light''], [[Wilfrid Mellers]] (2005)</ref> (See also [[List of symphonies in C major]].)

Many masses and settings of the [[Te Deum]] in the Classical era were in C major. Mozart and Haydn wrote most of their masses in C major.<ref>[[James Webster (musicologist)|James Webster]] & Georg Feder, ''The New Grove Haydn''. New York: Macmillan (2002): 55. "The ''Missa in tempora belli'' ... in C features the bright, trumpet-dominated sound typical of masses in this key."</ref> [[Charles Gounod|Gounod]] (in a review of [[Jean Sibelius|Sibelius]]' [[Symphony No. 3 (Sibelius)|Third Symphony]]) said that "only God composes in C major". Six of his own masses are written in C.<ref>{{cite journal|jstor=932894|doi=10.2307/932894|last=Fanning|first=David|author-link=David Fanning (musicologist)|title=Shostakovich: The Present-Day Master of the C Major Key|journal=[[Acta Musicologica]]|volume=73|number=2|year=2001|pages=101–140}} This essay includes an extensive survey of classical works in C major</ref>

Of [[Franz Schubert]]'s two symphonies in the key, the first is nicknamed the "[[Symphony No. 6 (Schubert)|Little C major]]" and the second the "[[Symphony No. 9 (Schubert)|Great C major]]".

[[Scott Joplin]]'s "[[The Entertainer (rag)|The Entertainer]]" is written in C major.

Many musicians have stated that every musical key conjures up specific feelings.<ref>[https://www.wmich.edu/mus-theo/courses/keys.html "Affective Musical Key Characteristics"], [[Western Michigan University]]</ref> This idea is further explored in a radio program called ''[[The Signature Series]]''. American popular songwriter [[Bob Dylan]] claimed the key of C major to "be the key of strength, but also the key of regret".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Bob Dylan: The Essential Interviews|publisher=Simon & Schuster|editor=[[Jonathan Cott]]|year=2017|isbn=978-1501173196|location=New York|page=237|oclc=975135582}}</ref> Sibelius's [[Symphony No. 7 (Sibelius)|Symphony No. 7]] is in C major and that key was of great importance in his previous symphonies.<ref>Philip Coad, "Sibelius" in ''A Guide to the Symphony'', edited by [[Robert Layton (musicologist)|Robert Layton]]. Oxford University Press. Sibelius's Seventh "is in C major, and a look back at the previous four symphonies [by Sibelius] will reveal how great the domination of C major has been [in his music]. It is the key of the Third, the relative major of the Fourth and the important 'neutral agent' in its Finale, the key which first forces away the tonic in the Fifth's Finale, and the principal opposition – the key of the brass – in the Sixth. Although it is now the tonic key, C major is also strongly associated with brass in the Seventh Symphony."</ref>

===Notable examples===
{{See also|List of symphonies in C major}}

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* [[Johann Sebastian Bach]]
** [[Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564|Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major]], BWV 564
** [[Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 846]]
** [[Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin (Bach)#Sonata No. 3 in C major, BWV 1005|Sonata No. 3 in C major]], BWV 1005
** [[Cello Suites (Bach)#Suite No. 3 in C major.2C BWV 1009|Cello Suite No. 3]], BWV 1009
* [[Joseph Haydn]]
** [[Cello Concerto No. 1 (Haydn)|Cello Concerto No. 1]] (1761–65)
** [[Symphony No. 7 (Haydn)|Symphony No. 7]], ''Le Midi'' (1761)
** [[Symphony No. 60 (Haydn)|Symphony No. 60]], ''Il distratto'' (1774)
** [[Symphony No. 82 (Haydn)|Symphony No. 82]], ''The Bear'' (1786)
** [[String Quartets, Op. 33 (Haydn)|String Quartet No. 32]], ''The Bird'' (1781)
** [[String Quartets, Op. 76 (Haydn)|String Quartet No. 62]], ''Emperor'' (1797–98)
** [[Missa in tempore belli|Mass No. 10]], ''Missa in tempore belli'' (1796)
* [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]]
** [[Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman"|12 Variations in C major on the French song "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman"]], KV 265
** [[Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra (Mozart)|Concerto for flute and harp, KV 299/297c]]
** [[Piano Concerto No. 8 (Mozart)|Piano Concerto No. 8]], KV 246 ("Lützow")
** [[Piano Concerto No. 13 (Mozart)|Piano Concerto No. 13]], KV 415
** [[Piano Concerto No. 21 (Mozart)|Piano Concerto No. 21]], KV 467
** [[Piano Concerto No. 25 (Mozart)|Piano Concerto No. 25]], KV 503
** [[Piano Sonata No. 1 (Mozart)|Piano Sonata No. 1]], KV 279
** [[Piano Sonata No. 7 (Mozart)|Piano Sonata No. 7]], KV 309
** [[Piano Sonata No. 10 (Mozart)|Piano Sonata No. 10]], KV 330
** [[Piano Sonata No. 16 (Mozart)|Piano Sonata No. 16]], KV 545
** [[String Quartet No. 19 (Mozart)|String Quartet No. 19]], KV 465 ("Dissonance")
** [[Symphony No. 16 (Mozart)|Symphony No. 16]], KV 128
** [[Symphony No. 22 (Mozart)|Symphony No. 22]], KV 162
** [[Symphony No. 28 (Mozart)|Symphony No. 28]], KV 200
** [[Symphony No. 34 (Mozart)|Symphony No. 34]], KV 338
** [[Symphony No. 36 (Mozart)|Symphony No. 36]], KV 425 ("Linz")
** [[Symphony No. 41 (Mozart)|Symphony No. 41]], KV 551 ("Jupiter")
* [[Ludwig van Beethoven]]
** [[Piano Sonata No. 3 (Beethoven)|Piano Sonata No. 3]], Op. 2, No. 3
** [[Piano Concerto No. 1 (Beethoven)|Piano Concerto No. 1]], Op. 15
** [[Symphony No. 1 (Beethoven)|Symphony No. 1]], Op. 21
** [[Rondos, Op. 51 (Beethoven)|Rondo Op. 51, No. 1]]
** [[Piano Sonata No. 21 (Beethoven)|Piano Sonata No. 21]], Op. 53 ("Waldstein")
** [[Triple Concerto (Beethoven)|Triple Concerto]] for violin, cello, and piano in C major, Op. 56
** [[String Quartet No. 9 (Beethoven)|String Quartet No. 9]], Op. 59/3 ("Rasumovsky")
** [[Mass in C major (Beethoven)|Mass in C major]], Op. 86
* [[Franz Schubert]]
** ''[[Wanderer Fantasy]]'', Op. 15 D. 760
** [[Fantasy for violin and piano (Schubert)|Fantasy for violin and piano]], D. 934
** [[Sonata in C major for piano four-hands, D 812 (Schubert)|Sonata for 4-hands]], D. 812 (''Grand Duo'')
** [[Symphony No. 6 (Schubert)|Symphony No. 6]] (''Little'')
** [[Symphony No. 9 (Schubert)|Symphony No. 9]], D. 944 ("Great")
** [[String Quintet (Schubert)|String Quintet in C major]], D. 956
* [[Felix Mendelssohn]]
** [[Wedding March (Mendelssohn)|Wedding March from ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'']]
* [[Frédéric Chopin]]
** [[Introduction and Polonaise brillante (Chopin)|Introduction and Polonaise brillante for cello and piano]], Op. 3
** [[Étude Op. 10, No. 1 (Chopin)|Etude Op. 10 No. 1 "Waterfall"]]
** [[Étude Op. 10, No. 7 (Chopin)|Etude Op. 10 No. 7 "Toccata"]]
** [[Mazurkas, Op. 67 (Chopin)|Mazurka Op. 67 No. 3]]
* [[Robert Schumann]]
** [[Toccata (Schumann)|Toccata]], Op. 7
** [[Fantasie in C (Schumann)|Fantasie in C]], Op. 17
** [[Arabeske (Schumann)|Arabeske]], Op. 18
** [[Symphony No. 2 (Schumann)|Symphony No. 2]], Op. 61
* [[Anton Bruckner]]
** [[Te Deum (Bruckner)|Te Deum]]
* [[Georges Bizet]]
** [[Symphony in C (Bizet)|Symphony in C]]
** [[Roma Symphony (Bizet)|Souvenirs de Rome]]
* [[Jean Sibelius]]
** [[Symphony No. 3 (Sibelius)|Symphony No. 3]], Op. 52 (1907)
** [[Symphony No. 7 (Sibelius)|Symphony No. 7]], Op. 105 (1924)
* [[Maurice Ravel]]: ''[[Boléro]]''
* [[Igor Stravinsky]]: [[Symphony in C (Stravinsky)|Symphony in C]] (1940)
* [[Sergei Prokofiev]]
** [[Piano Concerto No. 3 (Prokofiev)|Piano Concerto No. 3]], Op. 26 (1921)
** [[Symphony No. 4 (Prokofiev)|Symphony No. 4]] (original version), Op. 47 (1930)
** [[Symphony No. 4 (Prokofiev)|Symphony No. 4]] (revised version), Op. 112 (1947)
* [[Dmitri Shostakovich]]: [[Symphony No. 7 (Shostakovich)|Symphony No. 7]], Op. 60 ("Leningrad")
* [[Terry Riley]]: ''[[In C]]''
* [[Duke Ellington]]: "[[C Jam Blues]]"
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