A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Barcarole

by William H. Cummings

BARCAROLE (Ital.), i.e. a 'boat-song.' Pieces of music written in imitation or recollection of the songs of Venetian barcaroli as they row their gondolas—or as they formerly did; for their songs at present appear to have little in them either agreeable or characteristic. Barcaroles have been often adopted by modern composers; as by Hérold in 'Zampa'; by Auber in 'Masaniello' and 'Fra Diavolo'; by Donizetti in 'Marino Faliero'; by Schubert, 'Auf dem Wasser zu singen' (Op. 72); by Chopin for Piano solo (Op. 60); and by Sterndale Bennett for Piano and Orchestra in his 4th Concerto. Mendelssohn has left several examples. The first 'Song without words' that he composed—published as Op. 19, No. 6—is the 'Venetianisches Gondellied' in G minor, which the autograph shows to have been written at Venice Oct. 16, 1830. Others are Op. 30, No. 6; Op. 62, No. 5; and the beautiful song, Op. 57, No. 5, 'Wenn durch die Piazzetta.' One essential characteristic in all these is the alternation of a strong and a light beat in the movement of 6-8 time—Chopin s alone being in 12-8—with a triplet figure pervading the entire composition, the object being perhaps to convey the idea of the rise and fall of the boat, or the regular monotonous strokes of the oars. The autograph of Bennett's barcarole is actually marked 'In rowing time.' The tempo of the barcaroles quoted above differs somewhat, but is mostly of a tranquil kind. The 'Gondoletta' entitled 'La Biondina,' harmonised by Beethoven, and given in his '12 verschiedene Volkslieder' (Nottebohm's Catalogue, p. 176), though of the same character as the boatmen's songs, is by Pistrucci, an Italian composer.

[ W. H. C. ]