The Minuet vs. The Scherzo

The minuet (actually minuet and trio) was one of the two middle movements in a four 
movement work in the Classical era (a symphony or string quartet).

The minuet is in ternary form (A→B→A) with the B episode (the "trio") in a different 
key than the A section. 

Most of the time, it was the third movement  following the slow second movement.  
But sometimes the order of the two movements were reversed.

Occasionally the minuet appeared in a three moement piece, either replacing the fast 
first movement or the slow second movement.

The classical minuet is derived from a 17th century aristocratic dance the was popular, 
say, in the courts of Louis XIV. 

A minuet has a medium-paced rhythm in 3.  (3/4 or 3/8, sort of like a waltz).  

Think of a minute as being "stately and dignified."

        Play an example of the minute as a 17th century dance  (1:00)

      Play a clip of the 3rd movement minuet from Mozart's Symphony No. 41  ("Jupiter")  (1:00)

The scherzo ("a joke") was developed by Joseph Haydn to be used in place of the minuet 
for variety.  It is also in 3, but usually much faster than a minuet.  Instead of it being 
"stately and dignified" like a minuet, think of a scherzo as "witty and playful."

      Play a clip of the scherzo from Beethoven's Symphony No. 3  ("Eroica")  (1:30)