to the half of a Semibreve; and divisible into two Crotchets (Semiminimæ majores), or four Quavers (Semiminimæ minores).
The Minim derives its name from the fact, that, until the invention of the Crotchet, it was the shortest note in use. We first find it mentioned, early in the 14th century, by Joannes de Muris; though Morley says it was employed by Philippus de Vitriaco, who flourished during the latter half of the 13th. Its form has undergone but little change, in modern times. It was always an open note, with a tail. Formerly its head was lozenge-shaped, and its tail turned always upwards: now, the head is round, inclining to oval, and the tail may turn either upwards, or downwards.
In antient music, the Minim was always imperfect: that is to say, it was divisible into two Crotchets only, and not into three. As time progressed, a quasi-exception to this rule was afforded by the Hemiolia minor: but it was never used in ligature. [See Hemiolia; Ligature.]
The Minim Rest resembles that of the Semibreve, except that it is placed above the line, instead of below it—a peculiarity which is observed in the oldest MSS. in which Minims occur.
[ W. S. R. ]
MINOR. When intervals have two forms which are alike consonant or alike dissonant, these are distinguished as major and minor. The minor form is always a semitone less than the major.
The consonances which have minor forms are thirds and sixths; the dissonances are seconds, sevenths and ninths; of these the minor thirds and sixths are the roughest of consonances, and the minor second is the roughest and the minor seventh the smoothest of dissonances.
Minor scales are so called because their chief characteristic is their third being minor. Minor tones are less than major by a comma. [See Major.] [App. p.719 "See also Day, vol. i. p. 436a, and Helmholtz, vol. i. p. 725."]
[ C. H. H. P. ]
MINOR CANONS, priests in cathedrals and collegiate churches whose duty it is to superintend the performance of daily service. They are not of the chapter, but rank after the canons and prebendaries. They were formerly called vicars choral, and were originally appointed as deputies of the canons for church purposes, their number being regulated by the number of the capitular members. Laymen were frequently appointed as vicars choral, but it is necessary that minor canons should be in holy orders. According to the statutes, they should also be skilled in church music. (Hook's Church Dictionary.)
[ W. B. S. ]
MINUET (Fr. Menuet; Ger. Menuett; Ital. Minuetto). A piece of music in dance rhythm, and of French origin. The name is derived from the French menu (small), and refers to the short steps of the dance. The exact date of its first invention is uncertain. According to some authorities it came originally from the province of Poitou, while others say that the first was composed by Lully. In its earliest form the minuet consisted of two eight-bar phrases, in 3-4 time, each of which was repeated; sometimes commencing on the third, but more frequently upon the first, beat of the bar, and of a very moderate degree of movement. The well-known minuet in the first finale of 'Don Giovanni' is a very faithful reproduction of this original form of the dance. As a complement to the short movement, a second minuet was soon added, similar in form to the first, but contrasted in feeling. This was mostly written in three-part harmony, whence it received its name Trio, a name retained down to the present time, long after the restriction as to the number of parts has been abandoned. A further enlargement in the form of the minuet consisted in the extension of the number of bars, especially in the second half of the dance, which frequently contained sixteen, or even more, bars, instead of the original eight. It is in this form that it is mostly found in the Suite.
In the works of the composers of the 18th century, especially Handel and Bach, the minuet is by no means an indispensable part of the Suite. As compared with some other movements, such as the Allemande, Courante, or Sarabande, it may be said to be of somewhat infrequent occurrence. Its usual position in the Suite is among the miscellaneous dances, which are to be found between the Sarabande and the Gigue, though we exceptionally meet with it in the 3rd Suite of Handel's second set as a final movement, and with three variations. In Handel, moreover, it is very rare to find the second minuet (or Trio) following the first. On the other hand, this composer frequently gives considerable development to each section of the movement, as in the 8th Suite of the second set, where the minuet (written, by the way, as is frequently the case with Handel, in 3-8 instead of 3-4 time), contains 34 bars in the first part, and 71 in the second. This piece has little of the character of the ordinary minuet excepting the rhythm. Handel also frequently finishes the overtures of his operas and oratorios with a minuet; one of the best-known instances will be found in the overture to 'Samson.'
The minuets of Bach are remarkable for their variety of form and character. In the Partita in B♭ (No. 1) the first minuet contains 16 bars in the first section and 22 in the second; while the second minuet is quite in the old form, consisting of two parts of eight bars each. The minuet of the fourth Partita (in D) has no Trio, and its sections contain the first eight, and the second twenty bars. In a Suite for Clavier in E♭ (Book 3, No. 7, of the Peters edition of Bach's works), we find an early example of a frequent modern practice. The first minuet is in E♭ major, and the second in the tonic minor. It may be remarked in passing that Bach never uses the term 'Trio' for the second minuet, unless it is actually written in three parts. In the 4th of the six Sonatas for flute and clavier we meet with another variation from the custom of the day which ordained that all movements of a suite must be in the same key. We here see the first minuet in C major, and the second in A minor—a precedent
