Barcarolle (Offenbach, Contes d'Hoffmann) multitrack by Trudbol, daniscool99 & Andy Costello

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Jacques Offenbach's "Barcarolle" from his opera 'Les Contes d'Hoffmann' (The Tales of Hoffmann), performed by:
- Andy Costello (piano):
http://www.youtube.com/mynameisandycostello
- Danny Fong (tenor 1 / tenor 3):
http://www.youtube.com/daniscool99
- Julien Neel (tenor 2 / bass 1 / bass 2)

A barcarole (from French, also barcarolle; originally, Italian barcarola, from barca 'boat') is a folk song sung by Venetian gondoliers, or a piece of music composed in that style. In classical music, two of the most famous barcaroles are those by Jacques Offenbach, from his opera The Tales of Hoffmann and Frederic Chopin's Barcarole in F sharp major for solo piano. A barcarole is characterized by a rhythm reminiscent of the gondolier's stroke, almost invariably a moderate tempo 6/8 meter.

The Tales of Hoffmann (Les contes d'Hoffmann) is an opera by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the main protagonist in the opera (as he is in the stories). The most famous number in the opera is the "Barcarolle" (Belle nuit, O nuit d'amour), which is performed in act 2. Curiously, the aria was not written by Offenbach with Les contes d'Hoffmann in mind. He wrote it as the 'Elves' Song' in the opera Die Rheinnixen (Les fées du Rhin), which premiered in Vienna on February 8, 1864. Offenbach died with Les contes d'Hoffmann unfinished. Ernest Guiraud completed the scoring and wrote the recitatives for the premiere. He also incorporated this excerpt from one of Offenbach's earlier, long-forgotten operas into the new opera.

The Barcarolle inspired the English composer Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji to write his Passeggiata veneziana sopra la Barcarola di Offenbach (1955--56). Moritz Moszkowski also wrote a virtuoso transcription of it.

The Barcarolle has been incorporated into many films, including Life Is Beautiful and Titanic. It also provided the tune for Elvis Presley's rendition of the song "Tonight Is So Right For Love" in the film G.I. Blues (1960).

LYRICS:
Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour,
Souris à nos ivresses,
Nuit plus douce que le jour,
Ô belle nuit d'amour!

Le temps fuit et sans retour
Emporte nos tendresses,
Loin de cet heureux séjour
Le temps fuit sans retour.

Zéphyrs embrasés,
Versez-nous vos caresses,
Zéphyrs embrasés,
Donnez-nous vos baisers!
Ah!

Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour,
Souris à nos ivresses,
Nuit plus douce que le jour,
Ô belle nuit d'amour!
Souris à nos ivresses!
Nuit d'amour, ô nuit d'amour!
Ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah!

Category:

Music

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