It's summertime and you're in a boat, what can be better than a barcarolle?
A barcarolle is a traditional Venetian boat song performed by the gondoliers. Sometimes you see the word spelled "barcarole" (English) or "barcarola" (Italian), but I like the French spelling that Frédéric Chopin used. Speaking of which, composers, like Chopin, have been inspired by this Italian genre for years. Chopin wrote his famous Barcarolle in F# Major, Op. 60. Felix Mendelssohn wrote numerous Venetian Boat Songs. I recently encountered a great barcarolle by the Paraguayan composer Agustín Barrios, titled "Julia Florida." In most cases, barcarolles are in a compound duple or quadruple meter (6/8, 12/8) and have a swaying boat-like feel.
Here are some of my favorites!
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