Song Without Words, Op. 19 No. 6 – Venetian Gondola Song No. 1

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Musical Terms (7)

• agitato Italian
  Agitated, restless. Indicates a nervous, unsettled energy, usually conveyed through faster tempos and heightened dynamic contrast.
  Mendelssohn's agitato passages — particularly in the later Songs Without Words and the Rondo capriccioso — require a light but driven touch. The agitation should feel barely contained, not chaotic.
• con anima Italian
  With soul, with feeling. A frequent Mendelssohn direction asking for deeply expressive, internally motivated playing.
  In the Songs Without Words, con anima calls for warmth of tone and sensitivity to harmonic colour. Allow the harmony to breathe — small dynamic swells into dissonances and relaxations onto resolutions bring the music to life.
• grazioso Italian
  Graceful, elegant. Calls for a refined, light touch with natural, unforced charm.
  Grazioso in Mendelssohn means aristocratic lightness — clean fingerwork, minimal pedal, and a singing melody that flows without effort. Avoid heaviness in the bass or over-emphasising inner voices.
• leggiero Italian
  Light, nimble. Indicates a delicate, fleet touch with minimal weight, essential in Mendelssohn's fast scherzando passages.
  In the Scherzo and rapid Songs Without Words, leggiero means fingers close to the keys, minimal arm weight, and a transparent texture. Think of the Midsummer Night's Dream fairy music — weightless and precise.
• Lied ohne Worte German
  Song Without Words. Mendelssohn's own term for his series of 48 lyrical piano pieces, each evoking the character of a song — melody, accompaniment, and expressive warmth — without text.
  Project the melody as a singer would — with breath, phrasing, and natural dynamic shaping. The accompaniment should be felt but not heard equally; a slight tonal differentiation between melody and inner voices is essential.
• sérieuses French
  Serious. Mendelssohn's own descriptor for his Variations Op. 54, distinguishing them from lighter salon variations and announcing an intention to write a work of genuine artistic weight.
  Take the sérieuses designation as a guide to the overall character: the Variations demand a serious, concentrated approach. Resist the temptation to play individual variations as showpieces — maintain the architectural sweep of the whole.
• Venezianisches Gondellied German
  Venetian Gondolier's Song. Mendelssohn's title for three of the Songs Without Words (Op. 19 No. 6, Op. 30 No. 6, Op. 62 No. 5) evoking the rocking motion of a gondola on water.
  The barcarolle rhythm — a lilting 6/8 or 12/8 — should suggest gentle rocking rather than mechanical metre. Use the pedal to blur the rhythm slightly and sustain the bass, but maintain clarity in the melody above.