June: The Barca Roll

When the seasons were published, the June became an instant hit. It was a bestseller and, for many years, it was the most popular out of the 12 pieces.

The Essential Context

Now, there are a lot of arrangements:

• Cello and piano
• Violin and piano
• Piano trio

It's a beautiful, beautiful piece loved by many.

The Poetic Influence

The poem that the editor chose for this piece is by a very famous Russian poet of the time, Plyshev. I'll read it to you because it's essential to the context of the piece:

"Let us go to the shore where the waves will kiss our feet with mysterious sadness. The stars will shine upon us, or gaze upon us, depending on how you translate."

So, the suggestion here is that it's a summer night, thus the key of G minor. Tchaikovsky was quite melancholic; he was often sad, as we know, and we'll talk about that whole aspect of his personality more in October.

The Nature of the Barca Roll

Nevertheless, it is a summer night. As we know, barca rolls comes from two Italian words:

• Barca: a boat
• Rolare: to roll or to sway with the waves

The Barca roll is often referred to as the songs of the Venetian gondoliers. It was a folk song throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Composers loved the genre of barcarolle. We know of:

• Schubert's Barcarolle
• Mendelssohn
• Chopin
• Rachmaninoff

It's a very beloved genre which Tchaikovsky picked for this piece.

Musical Structure

• Summer night
• Very melancholic
• Key of G minor

The piece is written in what's called a complex three-part form. It's very important that we analyze this structure:

1. First and Third Parts (ABA):

   • Both are in ABA forms with A being repeated identically.
   • In the third part, it becomes a little more complex, as the left hand introduces additional text, creating a dialogue with the right hand.

2. Second Part:

   • It can be divided into two sections, referred to as C and D for argument's sake.
   • One section relates to the swaying of the waves or the boat, while the other resembles a dance, a Russian dance, in fact.
   • Both sections are in G major.

The Coda

There is a beautiful coda that emerges, reminding us of when the stars are gazing upon us. For me, the ending symbolizes the sunrise, a very simple association, but it works.

The Essence of the Barcarolle

As we know, a barcarolle is a song. Everything stated before applies here:

• We need to produce and learn a beautiful melody with accompaniment.
• The piece is intricate and rich in texture, with many polyphonic responses and moving bass lines.

It is the longest piece out of the four, requiring a great deal of thought and planning. There are many repeats, so it's essential that it doesn't sound redundant or boring. We need to develop an effective melodic plan, and Tchaikovsky assists us in this.

Dynamics and Features

The other distinction between this piece and the other three is the dynamics. While the other three pieces retain dynamics between piano and mezzo forte, this piece includes:

• Forte
• Fortissimo: Highlighted in the famous, har-like cadenza before the third movement.

Before the recap in measures 52 and 53, there's a beautiful cello recitative or solo, Tchaikovsky's gift for cello solos. We also conclude with a lovely coda.

This is a long piece, and we will discuss it at length in future lessons.