Felix Mendelssohn
Allegretto tranquillo (Venetian Boat Song)
in F-sharp Minor, Op. 30 No. 6
from Songs Without Words

ID: 337

The pianist as gondolier

This piece rocks and rolls gently with the pianist as gondolier. One can imagine the song coming from under one of the wide-brimmed straw hats associated with Venice. The gentle piece pricks the listener’s consciousness and inspires lovely images travelling in a boat late at night through the famous city, lights reflected in the water.

Background

The Songs Without Words are hauntingly beautiful, and also very accessible. Intermediate pianists can play many of these gems, and this undoubtedly contributed to their ultimate popularity. There are 48 songs that are grouped into eight codices. Mendelssohn intended the songs to remain without lyrics even though many of his friends tried unsuccessfully to add words to the compositions. Even Liszt was inspired by these pieces, and he honored Mendelssohn with his “Großes Konzertstück über Mendelssohns Lieder Ohne Worte,” or “Grand Concert Piece on Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words.” The latter is for two pianos, and of course, Liszt gives Mendelssohn a pianistic workout in his own inimitable style.

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Classical piano sheet music by Mendelssohn to download: Venetian Boat Song Op. 30 No. 6 in the key of This piece has difficulty level 6 in the category Piece
Venetian Boat Song Op. 30 No. 6 in F-sharp Minor, a composition by the early romantic composer Felix Mendelssohn who was born in 1809 and died in 1847. The piano score of this piece was first published in 1834 and is part of Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words.