Characteristics and colours of “tones” as seen by musical aestheticians in the compositions of Baroque composers J. S. Bach, G. Ph. Telemann, G. F. Handel and L. Couperin. Eighteenth-century composers and theorists attributed importance to the character of individual keys, both in the composition and performance of compositions.

They were to be played with the appropriate affect and mood. Thus, to follow as closely as possible the idea of the composer himself and to evoke for the listener the colourful image or musical subtext of the composition.