Description
Unhurried at about three notes per second, this F minor trio in 3/4 is a clear contrast to the quick F major Menuet I in 3/8 just before it, with which it forms a pair. Key and metre change to set up that contrast with the main minuet, and the left hand moves with a melodic line of its own. Both pieces come from the later part of the Aylesford Pieces.
Where Menuet I lasts about 20 seconds, this trio lasts about one minute fifteen and has around 240 notes, set in the tonic minor. The two hands have nearly the same number of notes, so neither is simply accompanying the other.
It is rated intermediate. F minor has a key signature with many flats, so fingerings that include black keys need getting used to. Since the left hand has an independent line, follow both lines with the hand colours and slow the playback to balance the hands. Playing it straight after Menuet I and looping the join with the A-B loop is a good way to practise the change of metre. The range runs from F1 to A-flat 5, so a 61-key keyboard is short at the bottom as written, though an octave shift fits every note.
The minuet, an elegant triple-time dance popular in the Baroque era, evoking the refined atmosphere of a courtly ball.
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Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
George Frideric Handel was a Baroque composer born in Halle, Germany, who later became a naturalized British citizen. Celebrated for the oratorio Messiah and his Italian-style operas, he also composed many keyboard suites and sonatas. Often mentioned alongside his contemporary Bach, his music is marked by accessible melody and stately grandeur. This site includes suite movements, minuets, and pieces from the Aylesford Pieces.
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