Ru
EnA. Merzlova-Horbach
The Barcarolle op. 60 by Frédéric Chopin: towards the problem of genre specificity
The article deals with one of Frédéric Chopin’s well-known works – the Barcarolle op. 60. The main question is to establish the significance of this work in the general context of the genre. A general description of the various approaches to the study of the work is given. The form, dramaturgy and themes of the Barcarolle are characterized. It is concluded that the Barcarolle’s thematicism is inherent in syntactic openness: regular violations of the original symmetry of the syntax of each theme in turn affect the form as a whole, since there are no explicit caesuras between sections. Variation, evident at all levels of musical structure, leads to a gradual dissolution of the genre features typical of the mid-19th century barcarolle, with the result that some characteristics are not identified by the ear as typical of the barcarolle, but are perceived as a demonstration of Chopin’s compositional style. The origins and reasons of this effect can be attributed to the affinity between the material of the Barcarolle and the composer’s music of ballads. The Barcarolle evinces traits characteristic of the genre of the nocturne. Hence much attention is given to the of researchers’ interpretation that Chopin’s Barcarolle is rather a fantasy on the barcarolle topic in a historical context.
The kinship between the established by then genre traits of the barcarolle and Chopin’s musical language in general, leads to an unexpected turn in the interpretation of the genre. The genre of the barcarolle as understood by many subsequent composers (mostly of the Russian school) acquired characteristics that are perceived as typical, although originally they were characteristic only of Chopin’s composer and pianist style.. These may include a special type of vocalization of the voices of the texture, an abundance of melismatic; in some cases, tonality, characteristics of form, and syntactic openness of thematicism. The rapid evolution of the genre was made possible by the influence of the stylistics of Chopin’s other works of various genres.
Key words
Piano genres of Romantic Era, barcarolle, ballade, nocturne, composer’s style, F. Chopin, F. Mendelssohn.
For citation
Merzlova-Horbach A. The Barcarolle op. 60 by Frédéric Chopin: towards the problem of genre specificity. In: South-Russian Musical Anthology. 2024. No. 4. Pp. 49–57.
