century. It was long called
the Queen of Dances, and there is no one who has grieved to see the
departure of gallantry and grace from our ball-rooms but will wish to
see Her Gracious Majesty restored to her throne. The music of the
minuet is in 3-4 time, and of stately movement. The Gavotte is a
lively dance-measure in common time, beginning, as a rule, on the
third beat. Its origin has been traced to the mountain people of the
Dauphine called Gavots--whence its name.

[Sidenote: _Technique of the Clavier players._]

[Sidenote: _Change in technique._]

The transferrence of this music to the modern pianoforte has effected
a vast change in the manner of its performance. In the period under
consideration emotionality, which is considered the loftiest attribute
of pianoforte playing to-day, was lacking, except in the case of such
masters of the clavichord as the great Bach and his son, Carl Philipp
Emanuel, who inherited his father's preference for that instrument
over the harpsichord and pianoforte. Tastefulness in the giving out of
the melody, distinctness of enunciation, correctness of phrasing,
nimbleness and lightness of finger, summed up practically all that
there was in virtuosoship. Intellectuality and digital skill were the
essential factors. Beauty of tone through which feeling and
temperament speak now was the product of the maker of the instrument,
except again in the case of the clavichord, in which it may have been
largely the creation of the player. It is, therefore, not surprising
that the first revolution in technique of which we hear was
accomplished by Bach, who, the better to bring out the characteristics
of his polyphonic style, made use of the thumb, till then considered
almost a useless member of the hand in playing, and bent his fingers,
so that their movements might be more unconstrained.

[Sidenote: _Bach's touch._]

[Sidenote: _Handel's playing._]

[Sidenote: _Scarlatti's style._]

Of the varieties of touch, which play such a role in pianoforte
pedagogics to-day, nothing was known. Only on the clavichord was a
blow delivered directly against the string, and, as has already been
said, only on that instrument was the dynamic shading regulated by the
touch. Practically, the same touch was used on the organ and the
stringed instruments with key-board. When we find written praise of
the old players it always goes to the fluency and lightness of their
fingering. Handel was greatly esteemed as