Within Beethoven’s works, we have the Eroica Sympony and the Emperor Concerto. When we look over the classical repertoire in E flat major, we quickly can hear what Pauer was referring. This is the first key to which Pauer gives a gender designation! At once serious and solemn, it is the exponent of courage and determination, and gives to the piece a brilliant, firm and dignified character.” He goes on to say “It may be designated as eminently a masculine key.” Pauer’s key characteristics for E flat major is that it is “the key that boasts the greatest variety of expression.

For the rest of the major and minor keys, he left us the attributes but not the list of pieces.

Napoleon Bonaparte Credit: our earlier series on C major and minor, G major and minor, and D major and minor, and A major and minor, E major and minor, B major and minor, F sharp major and minor, C sharp major and minor, and A flat major and minor, we listed Ernst Pauer’s suggestions from 1876 of pieces that fit the particular affect he assigned for a key.

E flat major major scale