Classical-era Form—Minuet and Trio Form

Overview

Using Baroque-era minuet and trio form as a model, Classical-era composers of the 18th century extended the internal formal structure of minuet and trio to create movements appropriate to the multi-movement instrumental genres of the Classical Era. Mozart, in the minuet and trio from his Symphony in G Minor, K. 550, exploited the expressive potential of the minuet as an abstract compositional construct. The trio marks a stunning contrast with the minuet. A quite different example of a Classical-era minuet and trio is found in Joseph Haydn’s Symphony no. 88 in G Major.