HERBERT F. WRIGHT.
MINUET, 111111'04f, a graceful and stately dance of French origin, the name of which, de rived from menu, small, was suggested by the little steps. It developed from the branle of Poitou and was introduced into Paris in 1650. It was at first a gay and sprightly dance; but after appearing at court it became grave and very dignified. It is mentioned by Beauchamps, father of dancing-masters, who flourished in the reign of Louis XIV, and also by Blondy, his pupil; but it was Pecour who gave the minuet popularity. The first known minuet tunes of artistic value were written by Lally (composer of ballets and operas) in 1653. The minuet was a great favorite at the court of Louis XIV, and was equally popular in the con temporary court of Charles II in England, where it continued in vogue into the reign of George II. The minuet reached perfection in the reign of Louis XV. It was then a dance for two persons, in moderate triple time, and was generally followed by the gavotte (q.v.). Afterward the minuet was considerably devel oped, and, with the gavotte, became chiefly a stage dance and a means of display. The orig inal court minuet was a grave and simple dance, although it did not retain its simplicity for long. It was elaborated and molded into a beautiful form,— the perfect expression of an age in which deportment was carefully cul tivated, manners were polished and bodily grace developed to the highest degree. The many slow graceful movements, the bows, the pauses to be filled with pretty compliments and the opportunity the dance gave for the of beauty and bravery of costume made the minuet a factor in the polite world on both sides of the Atlantic. These court minuets were written in three-quarter time and con sisted of two eight-bar phrases, each of which was repeated. Mozart's beautiful minuet in 'Don Giovanni' shows the form exactly. The form was soon extended. As a complement to the first movement, a second minuet was added, similar in form but contrasted in feeling. This, being usually written in
three-part harmony, received the name of Trio, a name retained to the present time, long after the restriction as to the number of parts has been abandoned. A ftirther enlargement of the form of the minuet consists of the ex tension of the number of bars to 16. Bach and Handel introduced the minuet into their suites and Handel also used it frequently as a con cluding movement for the overtures to his operas and oratorios. Bach's minuets are re markable for their variety of form and char acter. The historic importance of the minuet arises from the fact that it still holds its place in the symphony, the descendant of the suite. The first composer to introduce the minuet into the symphony appears to have been Haydn. Examples are also found in Haydn's string quartets. Haydn, however, while retaining the form, changed the spirit and introduced a light hearted humor. The form of Mozart's minuets is identical with Haydn's, but Mozart again changed the spirit and in his hands tenderness and grace take the place of mere exuberance. It is in Mozart's concerted instrumental works that his minuets are chiefly to be studied. Bee thoven continued the popularity of the minuet. First he followed the form and general char acteristics of Mozart, but gradually he trans formed the minuet into the Scherzo; and in the great majority of symphonies since Beetho ven, the Scherzo replaces the older form. Oc casionally the minuet appears as in Mendels sohn's 'Italian Symphony' and in Schumann's 'E-flat Symphony.' The Italian composers were most successful in their use of this form. Among them was Boccherini (1743-1805), whose quintets contain gems that are still popu lar. The beautiful minuet in the last scene of Verdi's 'Falstaff' is a most happy adaptation of the old form to modern music.