MINIM

Period Tempo Minims MM per breve 12th century - 72 13th century - 24 14th century 2 48 4 & 3 24 6 16 8 & 6 12 12 & 9 8 late 15th century 4 & 6 8.80 integer valor 6 & 9 5.80 16th century 4 17.50 4 8.80 17th century when 4 17.50 ??

In the ritornello proper, simple inspection establishes that it is the blackened minim that is presented to the performer in threes; the tripla proportion is thus to be interpreted as three minims in the time of one.

Gullo (1964) manipulated what Vetulus wrote to get a more acceptable tempo of MM 216 for the minim. He assumed that Vetulus's `tempus rectum and perfectum, not the maius [major] or the minus [minor] tempus, but the mediocritir [mean], which consists of a quadrangular shape in the image of the four parts of the world' was a long (in spite of the quadrangular shape describing the symbol for a breve), and it was different from tempus perfectum medium, which, at 1/3 the length, was supposed to be the true breve.

587-90), would it not be fair to say that the common coin of the realm was the mensural system described there, that is, French, with minim equivalence?

He forgets that Beethoven's Allegretto finale to the Pastoral Symphony (3/4, arguably a one-in-a-bar minuet) is marked dotted minim = 60 (crotchet = 180) and that the Menuetto allegretto of his String Quartet op.18 no-4, is marked dotted minim = 84 (crotchet = 252)!

There is a Latin saying which lawyers are fond of using: De Minim is Non Curat Lex -the law takes no account of trifles.

Some notes have been omitted(10) and in bar 180 of no.1a the minim g in the left hand is placed on a crotchet too late.