This Menuet antique is an early work, composed by Ravel in 1895 when he was still a student at the Paris Conservatoire. True to its title, it directly employs the archaic minuet form, featuring a trio section in the middle. While the melody possesses simple, warm, and romantic characteristics, the frequent use of seventh and ninth chords results in a modern, urban, and sophisticated miniature piece, characteristic of Ravel. The dense chordal figure from the opening is used as a theme and also appears in the left hand, yet it never results in a thick or muddled sound, demonstrating a skillful compositional technique despite his youth. In the trio section, a gentle, flowing melody emerges, but near its end, the dense chordal figure from the opening is also inserted, creating an exquisite effect.