MINUET AND TRIO:

This form is typically employed as the third movement of classical symphonies, string quartets, and other works. It originated as a stately, dignified dance in which the dancing couple exchanged curtsies and bows. But the minuet movement of a symphony or string quartet is written for listening, not dancing. It is in triple meter and usually in a moderate tempo. The Minuet is in A B A form: minuet(A), trio(B), minuet(A). The trio(B) is usually quieter than the minuet(A) section and requires fewer instruments, often containing woodwind solos. The trio section got its name during the baroque period, when a set of two dances would be followed by a repetition of the first dance. The second dance was known as a "trio" because it was usually played by three instruments. The whole movement can be outlined as follows:

With its A B A form and its many repeated parts, the minuet is structurally the simplest movement of a symphony or string quartet.