Descriptions

Level of difficulty: intermediate

Notation: standard and standard with tab

Tone: A major

To purchase this score send me an email to: tudorniculescumizil@gmail.com

„Barcarolle” is a piece from the last opera composed by Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880), entitled “Les Contes d ‘Hoffman” – “Hoffman’s Tales”. The song appears under the name “Belle nuit, ô nuit d ‘amour” – “Beautiful Night, A Night of Love”. In fact, “barcarolla” is a traditional Italian genre of popular origin. The term comes from the word “barca” (boat), and this type of piece was played by Venetian gondoliers. The rhythm of a “barcarolle” is similar to the paddling cadence of the gondoliers, the tempo being slow to moderate. This song is in the original version a duet for the soprano and mezzo-soprano and is considered one of the most famous and known “barcarolle” in the history of music. The text of the piece was written by Jules Barbier (1825-1901) and refers to the beauty of the mirage of night and love. The arrangement for the guitar is for intermediate level, in the tonality of “A major”, time signature of 6/8, with the tempo indication “Moderato”. The musical balance which relates to the waves of water will be suggested by the middle voice line from the firstbars, then continuing along the piece as a factor of unity. Being a duet in the original score, the dialogue between the voices will be permanently considered – eg, the successive thirds (m. 11-13, 15-17) will be played with a lot of „vibrato” and they suggest the intertwining between the voices. The piece has a particular sensitivity, and its interpretation must suggest tranquility, the feeling of love and the romance of its confession.