A Definition of A Tempo di Menuetto

The Italian musical phrase a tempo di menuetto is an indication to play with the style and “tempo of a minuet”: slow, graceful, and often in 3/4 or 6/8 time. See alla marcia.

The correct Italian would be “minuetto.” The term menuetto likely gained popularity through early German composers who, probably by accident, combined the Italian and German (“Menuett”) words for minuet.

• a tempo di minuetto (It)
• tempo de minuet (Fr)
• im Menuetttempo (Ger)

• ah tem'-poh  de  meen'-oo-ETT-toh

• (mf) mezzo forte
• ritardando
• smorzando
• accelerando
• vivace