Chopin's Barcarolle Op. 60 (analysis and performance)

0:00 Intro and Background
5:56 Formal analysis
20:36 Complete performance of Barcarolle Op. 60
Artwork in thumbnail: "The Pearl of Venice" by Thomas Moran
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[@RModillo]

A great piece. One of my all-time favorites is Lipatti's recording.

[@chrisy367]

My absolute favorite chopin piece, what a masterpiece

[@TheIndependentPianist]

Mine as well.... although the Polonaise-Fantasie is definitely in the running!

[@chrisy367]

@@TheIndependentPianist for sure! Genius.

[@carmenxie4782]

How can barcarolle not be ur favourite piece

[@blackwoodsjackheron]

“An unbelievable feat of imagination”…A perfect description of this piece. Thank you for this video. Your interpretation is fantastic. Bravo!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@gmnotyet]

Magnificent playing

[@nickparsons3713]

This is my favorite Chopin piece, and you play it so beautifully. And your analysis helped me appreciate it more. It was great to watch your hands as you played and follow the music. Thank you for this video! For me, the piece has moments of such a beautiful, sunny, love....for life really. That's how I feel it. Sometimes relaxed and open, sometimes an ecstatic outpouring of love. And the darker moments add such depth and richness. I love the rhythm, and the shifting harmonies which are so emotionally rich and gorgeous, and the melodies and inner voices are so stirring and beautiful. I imagine Chopin touched something transcendent within him when he composed this piece.

[@craggyisland8770]

Yes!!!! Definitely a top 3 desert island piece for me. Thanks you Cole!

[@craggyisland8770]

The coda is beautiful and ballsy to add a great little tune at the end

[@_samuelfrancis_]

Your playing left me breathless man! Way to go brother. Thank you for continuing to create these videos for us, they are really informative and always splendid to watch.

[@jessevallejo8797]

Chopin & Mendelssohn actually got along pretty well.

[@mattm9042]

Weeping pretty hard as I finish this luminous, marvelous, beautiful video. Thanks from the bottom of my heart. I played this piece a long time ago, and your interpretation is spot on. Chapeau!

[@TheIndependentPianist]

Thank you so much!

[@mattm9042]

@@TheIndependentPianist I am a fellow Obie. Class of ‘83

[@marcusvaldes]

This may be my favorite piece of music period. It is the one piece that I hope one day I can play. As I watch this you have 7.77K subscribers, so maybe that's a sign haha

[@mwlrdg1]

I genuinely enjoyed listening to your unusually well-constructed and expressive performance. Your analysis and insights about Chopin's state of mind indeed permeate the performance! Truly exquisite!

[@charmquark6366]

If this Barcarolle was a fine art work, it would be in the Louvre. Awesome recording!

[@almosdrozdik6738]

Absolutely stoked to see this piece covered on your channel! I was told that when I was around two years old, I used to sit down by the CD player and listen to the entire piece whenever it played. The opening melody in the left hand feels like something I've known forever - older than my oldest memories. Interesting and insightful video as always!

[@TheIndependentPianist]

Thank you for sharing this story!

[@I0nK1ng]

This piece is like rafting down a river on a placid evening then at night fireworks go off. Btw I subscribed

[@grahamtwist]

What detailed and wonderful guidance you provide, Cole, on the interpretation and performance of this exquisite 'Barcarolle'. In so many ways, this masterpiece really sees Chopin reach the highest plateau of his creative achievement and I can understand why you feel this work is so revealing of the inner essence and pure romanticism of the man. Although many piano works with this title can be invariably simple in design and texture, and often just a straightforward transfer from the operatic genre, Chopin’s monumental work, with its complex formal organization, strikes as quite unlike anything else in piano music at the time, and the piece remains just as extraordinary and stunning for today’s audience. The music's texture is filled with such sophisticated harmonies, including beautiful and lengthy chromatic modulations that are seemingly without a clear tonal goal, and his use of alluring dissonance extends well beyond classical sensibilities. More pertinently, your virtuoso performance is just exquisite, Cole, and you become our gondolier, carrying the gentle swaying lyricism of the Venetian songster as we are serenaded through to the powerfully climactic perorations of the music’s final stages. B R A V O !

[@edwardmeradith2419]

Wonderful verbal introduction- almost as lyrical as some of the musical lines

[@TheIndependentPianist]

Thank you, that is very kind. Sometimes I worry that I chatter on too much!

[@barcarolleenjoyer]

Also I agree with your assessment of the repeat of the gondolier theme being the hardest part of the piece - for some reason some people think the coda is the hardest part of the piece, but that left hand is really awkward as you say.

[@lucawuthrich6594]

The preparation for the end might be my favourite use of pedal point

[@andrzej997]

Amazing!

[@poplarboydavid]

An amazing composition! Does it get any better, when it comes to stirring the emotions?

[@joanneswets.]

I ❤️ C.'s work 🥰!

[@klippklapp3004]

Beautiful Analysis. I would consider putting „Analysis“ in the title

[@TheIndependentPianist]

Yes, good idea, forgot that this time...

[@supasayajinsongoku4464]

Damn beautiful

[@rishidesai9755]

Great video as usual! I would love to see your analysis of piano pieces by Ginastera or Einojuhani Rautavaara :)

[@TheIndependentPianist]

Great idea-Actually I did do a video on some Rautavaara Etudes awhile back, but I have yet to cover Ginastera. I'll take a look at some of his music!

[@barcarolleenjoyer]

Are you playing this on an electric piano or an upright? Because if that's the upright that's the best upright I've ever heard.

[@bradyredding1964]

What’s that intro music?

[@joanneswets.]

The extremely beautiful passage around 23:37 min. I suppose

[@TheIndependentPianist]

Yes, it's an excerpt from the Barcarolle itself.

[@CyrusandAurelius]

Thank you so much! I asked if you were going make a video on this piece when you put up Chopin Berceuse Op. 57 and you said yes and now here it is. I just finished memorizing this piece and now look forward to polishing it for many years and your video will really help! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eH7ZdHZsn9SqkKs

[@TheIndependentPianist]

You're very welcome! I'm very glad you are on your way with this piece. It will be a great companion for you. 🙂