mineur

Minor. (me-nur') Fr. adj. All the notes or tones of a minor minim (min'-im) key in regular ascending or descend- A half note. It derives its name ing order. There are two kinds of from the fact that before the invenminor scales, the true harmonic minor tion of the crotchet note it was the scale formed of the tones of the mishortest note in use. nor key, and the melodic minor scale. minim rest In the harmonic scale the intervals A rest equal in duration to a half between tones one and two, three and note. It is always four and four and five, are major placed seconds, intervals of one whole tone, above low it. the line instead of be- ■' i ■" and between two and three, five and minima (me'-m-ma) It. n. six, and seven and eight minor sec- A minim, onds, intervals of a semitone, while mini me (me-nem') Fr. n. between tones six and seven there is A minim. an augmented second, an interval of Minnedichter (min'-ne-dikh'-ter) Ger. n. three semitones. For melodic pur- A minnesinger. poses the augmented second was Minnege avoided by the inventor of the melon. sang (min'-ne-ge-zang') Ger. dic minor scale in which the semitone falls between the second and third, Love-poetry; love-songs. Minnesanger (min-ne-zeng'-er) Ger. n. and seventh and eighth tones ascending, and between the fifth and sixth, Minnesinger (mTn-ne-zing'-er) Ger. n. and second and third descending. In German poets of noble birth who the minor scale not all the tones are 353 334 minor scale miracle-plays represented in the signature as is thought to have originated in Poitou done in the major scale, the seventh in the middle of the Seventeenth note always being represented by an Century. The name is derived from accidental sharp or flat. In the methe French adjective menu, small, relodic minor scale notes six and seven ferring to the steps of the dancers. are sharped, ascending, but in descend- Louis XIV made the minuet fashioning all tones agree with the signature, able in Paris, preferring it to the minor scale, natural older court favorite, the pavan, and See natural minor scale, Charles II. established it at the Engminor second lish court. Here it was destined to A le er second: a normal or major enjoy great popularity, particularly second narrowed by a semitone; the from 1730 to 1770, during which time interval between a tone and the next a special minuet was composed each half tone above or below it. Between year, for the celebration of the king's C and D flat we have a minor second, birthday. Originally the minuet con the major second would be C-D. sisted of two parts of eight bars minor semitone each in three-four time, each of A half tone whose letter or place which is repeated. When the minuet on the staff remains the same, as G was danced, a slow rate of speed was to G sharp, used, but the movement was deminor seventh cidedly quicker for instrumental per- An interval consisting of four form ance. In a short time a second whole tones and two semitones. minuet was added to the first. It was minor sixth like the first in form but unlike it in A sixth which is a half tone shorter sentiment; being written in three than the major sixth is called the part harmony it was called a trio, a minor sixth, as C-A flat. name still in use although the number minor third of parts is no longer limited to three. An interval containing a whole tone The original eight bars were also exand a semitone or three semitones. tended. In this new form the minuet minor tone was incorporated into the suite or set The shorter of the two standard of dance forms. The minuet is rewhole tones, the ratio of the vibramarkable as surviving the other old tions which produce them being 10:9. dance forms, reappearing in both the minor triad sonata and symphony, in the latter A chord of three notes containing of which it was placed by Haydn. a minor third, or interval of one and The names of Handel and J. S. Bach a half tones, and a perfect fifth, or inare a ociated with the earlier minuet. terval of three and a half tones. Mozart used the same form as minore Haydn. _ Beethoven, although not Minor, (me-no'-re) It. adj. abandoning it, effected its transform a minstrel, squire tion into the scherzo. That the An ancient title for a profe ional minuet is still popular is shown by minstrel; a combination of poet, the enthusiastic reception given to singer and musician. Paderewski's Minuet in G. minstrels minuet to, me-noo-et'-to) alternativo It. (al-ter-na-te'-vo 1. As early as the Tenth Century poet-musicians who sang lyrical Alternating minuet: the minuet as verses and ballads to accompaniment a musical composition consists of two of harps or some other instrument. movements, the second of which is In early times they were the attend similar in form but contrasted in ants of troubadours or minnesingers, character and written in three-part whose compositions they sang. harmony, and was called the trio. This 2. Also profe ional musicians and alternated with the first movement, singers. hence, the name. minstrelsy minugia The art or profe ion of a minstrel, Strings (me-noo'-ja) of instruments; It. n.guts. miracle-plays