Barcarolle (Offenbach, Contes d'Hoffmann) - 5 voices and piano

Barcarolle (Offenbach) - Danny Fong, Andy Costello & Julien Neel ► I SELL LEARNING TRACKS: http://julienneel.com ► GET MY ALBUM: http://trudbol.bandcamp.com ► SUPPORT MY WORK: http://patreon.com/trudbol 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!

Jacques Offenbach was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario of the romantic period. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr. and Arthur Sullivan. His best-known works were continually revived during the 20th century, and many of his operettas continue to be staged in the 21st. The Tales of Hoffman remains part of the standard opera repertory.

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