barcarolle

Italian composer

Definition

A piece in the style of a Venetian gondolier's song; typically in 6/8 or 12/8, rocking gently between bass and melody.

Interpretive Guidance

The rocking accompaniment should feel unhurried, like water. In Tchaikovsky's Barcarolle (June from The Seasons) the melody sings above a steady, arching left-hand pattern.

Context

Scope Used by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Language Italian

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