Minuet

The minuet is a dance form that is in 3/4 time.  It has a formal structure that, at the highest level, has two parts: a menuet and a trio.  The character of the two sections usually differs somewhat, the minuet being more stately and the trio more lyric.  The overall structrue is Minuet-Trio-Minuet.

The phrase structure of most menuets is also usually quite clear both melodically and harmonically:

Both the minuet and trio parts have the following phrase structure:

• Two repeated sections--usually each 8 bars long
• Each repeated section has a minumum of two phrases--usually two 4 bar phrases
• The phrase strucuture is usually symmetrical with an even number of bars in each phrases, e.g. 4 + 4 or 8 + 8.

When the minuet section is repeated after the Trio, no repeats are taken.

As an example we will look at a

Minuet from the First Suite For Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach.  

This Minuet follows the above structure with one exception; it uses two 8 bar phrases in the second repeated section of both the Minuet and the Trio.

Things to notice:

• As you listen to this minuet you will notice that the 3/4 meter often feels displaced by both the melodic and harmonic motion. Although this happens frequently in minuets, it is not a requirement.
• The Minuet is in D Major while the Trio is in D Minor.
• Notice that there is a brief move toward the dominant in the first section and even more extensive modulating activity in the second section of the Minuet
• Even with the modulation in the second section of the minuet it returns to D Major so a final candence there will work at the end of the final repeat of the Minuet section.
• The Trio also makes some harmonic excursions related to D Minor.
• Both the Minuet and Trio have clearly delineated 4 or 8 bar phrases.
• Although more subtle than most, the Trio is somewhat more lyric than the Minuet.