barcarolle
genresBAR-kah-rol
A song in the style of Venetian gondoliers, with a gentle, rocking 6/8 rhythm.
A barcarolle imitates the songs of Venetian gondoliers, with a lilting 6/8 or 12/8 rhythm that suggests the gentle rocking of a boat on water. The form is typically lyrical and dreamy, with a swaying accompaniment pattern in the left hand supporting a singing melody above.
The most famous barcarolle is from Offenbach's opera The Tales of Hoffmann, but Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Fauré also wrote celebrated examples. The genre captures a specific mood — romantic, nocturnal, and waterborne — that has made it a favourite for evoking atmosphere in both concert and operatic settings.
Real Venetian gondoliers still sing barcarolles today, though tourists are more likely to hear O Sole Mio than the traditional songs that inspired the classical form.