Minuet - The Reminiscence of the Individual Dance Form in Maurice Ravel’s Piano Works

Abstract

"The minuet is one of the most representative dance forms of the Baroque era. Thanks to its popularity, it becomes part of stage works like operas and ballets, instrumental suites, later (in the Classical and Romantic era) movements of symphonies, sonatas, string quartets, and trios. Ravel had a special interest in old dance forms. Among his musical works there are several dance-movements like Pavane, Rigaudon, Forlane, or Menuet. The use of these in individual works is limited, having only three minuets written for piano solo: the Menuet antique (1895), the Menuet in C sharp minor (1904), and the Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn (1909). Keywords: Ravel, Baroque, Reminiscence, Baroque dance forms, Piano, Minuet, Neoclassicism. "