Venetian Gondola – Felix Mendelssohn arr. B. Podesta

“Italy at last! And every possible delight I imagined, has now started and I enjoy it very much,” composer Felix Mendelssohn wrote to his family from Venice, Italy on October 11, 1830. ¹

This piece begins with a left-hand motive, evoking the sounds of soft and steady water movements. It is in a triple meter (6/8), and the right hand soon opens up and, carried by the floating boat, turns into a beautiful melody like an aria from an Italian opera.

Mendelssohn wrote a total of 5 gondola pieces. Perhaps the three best known are the above mentioned Op. 19b No. 6 in G Minor (October 1830), the Venetian Boatsongs Op. 30 No. 6 in F Sharp Minor (March 1835), and Op. 62 No. 5 in A Minor (January 1841).

Venetian Boatsong Op. 30 No. 6 in F Sharp Minor (March 1835)
F.Mendelssohn arr. B.Podesta

1https://blogs.loc.gov/nls-music-notes/2019/02/mendelssohn-and-venetian-gondolas/