Surely you have already been to a concert, and when looking at the program, you came across the word Minuet. But, do you know what a Minuet is?!?!
Of French origin, Minueto means “dance of small steps”, and is characterized by the elegance and delicacy of the movements.
This style of dance was very much performed in the 12th century, and under the reign of Louis XIV, it invaded the courtrooms and spread throughout Europe, becoming the main dance of the aristocracy, reaching the highest degree of luxury and splendor.
In this dance, the partners, when taken by the hands, execute in a soft way, executing slow turns with reverence to each other.
In music, many composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and Haydn, included the minuet in their works for piano and also orchestral. In classical symphonies, a dance was usually included in the third movement, and the minuet was widely used.
The light and elegant character of the minuet also pleased many future composers, such as Brazilians: Heitor Villa-Lobos, Alberto Nepomuceno, Henrique Oswald, among others. To this day, it is an indispensable style of composition for students of composition.
It is clear to music students that when sitting down to study a Minuet, one must interpret it in an elegant manner, giving luxury to the notes, with a dancing character, and of course reverence.
Take a coffee cup and feel all the luxury of this most noble dance and musical style of the XII century.
Bibliography:
CARPEUX, Otto Maria: O Livro de Ouro da História da Musica, 2001.
MEDAGLIA, Julio: Música, Maestro, 2008.
