CLASSICAL - Minuet & Trio

MINUET & TRIO

SONATA FORM (see previous post) was frequently used in CHAMBER MUSIC as well, particularly for first movements. In the video below, though, we have a third movement, and as in many SYMPHONY and SONATA third movements,  the structure is MINUET & TRIO.

The MINUET, a graceful dance-like section, with three beats in a bar, is followed by another, the TRIO, which is often in a related key (eg. RELATIVE MAJOR/MINOR, DOMINANT); the MINUET is then played again, creating a TERNARY FORM movement.

In this example, we hear a partial repeat of the MINUET (starting at 1.01) - notice the use of a PAUSE here (1.07) and earlier at 0.21. Rather unusually, the TRIO (1.50) is in Eb Major, which is neither the RELATIVE MINOR nor the dominant key of G major. The return of the MINUET starts at 3.00, with the partial repeat missed out this time.

Below is another MINUET and TRIO by Haydn, this time the 3rd movement of a SYMPHONY. The TRIO begins at 1.53 and remains in the home key of Bb Major. The MINUET returns at 3.24.