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Venetian Gondola Song Op. 30, No. 6 was written by Felix Mendelssohn as part of a set of forty eight pieces for piano called Songs Without Words. These pieces were written between 1829 and 1845, which was during the Romantic era. You can listen to another Venetian Gondola Song here. The Venetian Gondola Songs are designed to depict the gentle rocking of the boats on the canals of Venice.

The Songs Without words, or Lieder Ohne Worte are characterised by their lyrical nature, small scale and uncomplicated structure. Despite the simplicity of their form, these pieces provide a useful technical challenge for piano students aiming to refine their tone and touch.

This melancholy piece has a slightly darker feel than the other Venetian Gondola Song mentioned above. The overall tranquility of this piece is coloured by moments of drama, like an impending storm threatening to disturb the peaceful rocking of the boat on the water. The fact that this piece is in a minor key plays a big part in its melancholy character. Read more about the theory of minor keys in my article here: Relative Majors and Minors - How to Work Out Minor Keys

The ornamentation is reminiscent of a Chopin Nocturne, and gives some sense of freedom to the evocative melodies. Another Chopin piece you may like to listen to is Prelude No. 6 in B minor.

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​I recorded this video in March 2018.