Description
Passepied et Menuet, from Handel's Aylesford Pieces, pairs a lively triple-meter French passepied with a more graceful minuet in a very brief span of under twenty seconds. Despite its short length, it offers the fun of distinguishing two contrasting dance characters. With few notes, it is a good introduction for beginners to sensing rhythmic differences between dance types.
The minuet, an elegant triple-time dance popular in the Baroque era, evoking the refined atmosphere of a courtly ball.
Sheet Music
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 72 of his works, such as gavottes, concertos, and sonatinas.
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