Most composers prefer to use the
enharmonic equivalent
D-flat major since it contains five flats as opposed to C-sharp major's seven sharps. However,
Johann Sebastian Bach chose C-sharp major for Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in both books of
The Well-Tempered Clavier. In
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6,
Franz Liszt takes the unusual step of changing the key from
D-flat major to C-sharp major near the start of the piece, and then back again to B-flat minor (the
relative minor of D-flat major).
Maurice Ravel selected C-sharp major as the tonic key of "Ondine" from his piano suite
Gaspard de la nuit.
Erich Wolfgang Korngold composed his
Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Op. 17, in C-sharp major. The
Allegro de concierto by Spanish composer
Enrique Granados is written in C-sharp major. Canadian composer and pianist
Frank Mills originally wrote and performed his instrumental hit "
Music Box Dancer" in C-sharp major; however, most modern piano editions have the piece written in
C major.
Louis Vierne used C-sharp major for the "Dona nobis pacem" of the Agnus Dei of his
Messe solennelle in
C-sharp minor.