menuetto

Meaning of menuetto in musicThe term *menuetto* refers to a style of dance and accompanying musical form that originated in France in the late 17th century. The menuet was a courtly, elegant dance performed by couples in 3/4 time with a graceful, stately tempo. The accompanying musical form evolved into a minuet, characterized by a rhythmic pattern of three quarter notes followed by a quarter note, creating an asymmetric accent on the first beat of the measure. The minuet often appeared as the third movement of symphonies, string quartets and sonatas during the Baroque and Classical periods. Composers like Mozart and Beethoven expanded the form by adding complex counterpoint, faster tempos and dramatic elements.