Mendelssohn - Song without Words, op.19 no. 6 “Venetian Boat Song”
Probably my favorite song without words from Mendelssohn’s collection. I don’t know, the melody sucks me in, it’s so somber, so simple, but at the same time hits a really deep chord with me…as if I were in Venice as the city is, not the Romanticized version of it, I mean a day where it’s grey and you notice the decaying churches and art along the walls, you become more pessimistic at the thought of decay, of how momentary everything seems to be. And yes I’ll say it: I just had some good pizza at an Italian pizza place and I couldn’t help but think of this “Italian” melody while I ate, and that’s probably a bi-product of my recent blue moods…whatever the source is, Mendelssohn’s Songs without Words are a great staple of Romantic piano music. Music that is lyrical, freeform, and something to use to experiment with small ideas, and the small and intimate is something that I think we all seek. In an age of mass production, of gluttony, we want something that feels personal, legitimate.
Will do another post on these tomorrow, but one of my Thanksgiving rituals is, after I’ve finished eating and have had some wine, I take my dog for a walk and listen to all of the “Venetian Gondolier Songs” throughout Mendelssohn’s songs without words. There’s only three of them, and they’re all short, slightly melancholic, and have the rocking waves underscoring the melody. A chance to take a moment away from my hectic family [I love them but I’m an introvert to a borderline unhealthy degree]. I don’t know what attracts me to these specific pieces, the suggestion of a gondola rowing through Venice. I’ve never been in one of those. But Venice fascinates me for how much of its traditions are themselves a marketing fabrication to promote tourism. Strange how some things never change.
