BaroqueG minor108 bpm~1 mindifficulty 4/9
Like its G-major sibling (also long credited to Bach), this minuet was reattributed in the twentieth century to Christian Petzold, organist at the Sophienkirche in Dresden during Bach's lifetime. The piece has been in continuous pedagogical use since its inclusion in the Anna Magdalena Notebook, and the Grade 2 listing carries it forward under its rightful name.
The G-minor minuet is technically more demanding than its companion. The right hand carries an expressive minor-key melody that needs cantabile shaping; the left hand has a clearer countermelody than in many minuets at this level. The student must voice the two hands as independent lines and shape the cadences with care. Hand position stays close to a five-finger frame but the modal colour of G minor (with its raised leading tones) requires alert reading.
The main pitfall is dynamic flatness — the piece asks for a clear arc across each strain, and Grade 2 candidates often play it at one volume throughout. A second pitfall is rushing the cadences: the half-cadences in the middle of each strain need to land before the next phrase begins, otherwise the harmonic logic blurs.
Hearing the minuet on harpsichord, paired with its G-major companion, makes the modal contrast immediately legible — both pieces sit on the Anna Magdalena Notebook IMSLP page.
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