Barcarolle, Op. 10 No. 3

1. 0:00
   Left-hand melody from bar 3

   The right hand begins alone, playing thirds at pp. Two bars later the left hand enters with the melody, marked mf, below the continuing right-hand thirds.

2. 0:26
   Barcarolle in G minor, 1894

   In 1894 Rachmaninoff placed this G minor boat song third among his seven Morceaux de salon. The opening lies under both hands, played quietly. The quick passages later take the right hand high up the keyboard.

3. 1:10
   Con moto section

   At Con moto the right hand changes to running semiquavers, marked ppp leggiero, very quiet and light. The left hand moves up into the treble clef and holds its chords while the right-hand figures continue above.

4. 2:22
   Return of the left-hand melody

   The left-hand melody returns at Allegro moderato, again marked mf, and keeps its broad pace. Above it, the right hand has more notes than at the opening and fills the rocking pattern with ppp semiquavers.

5. 2:52
   Edison recording, 1919

   Rachmaninoff recorded the Barcarolle for Edison in April 1919. The disc, Diamond Disc 82202, was issued in February 1921, with Chopin’s Waltz in A♭, Op. 64 No. 3, on the other side.

6. 3:34
   Closing bars, top octave

   The quick figures make a diminuendo and rise into the top octave, marked pppp. The bass stops while the last sextuplets climb. Two separate chords close the piece, ppp and then pp.

Joins

1. 1:10
   The left hand holds its chord

   At Con moto, the right hand changes from thirds to continuous semiquavers, marked ppp leggiero. The left hand gives up its melody, moves into the treble clef and holds a chord tied across the bar line, below the right-hand semiquavers.

2. 2:22
   Left-hand melody returns at Allegro moderato

   The quick right-hand writing makes a crescendo to f, then a diminuendo to pp. At Allegro moderato, Rachmaninoff brings back the left-hand tune at mf, below right-hand semiquavers marked ppp.

3. 3:00
   Diminuendo to ppp and Meno mosso

   The returning melody makes a diminuendo through pp to ppp. At Meno mosso the right-hand semiquavers slow, and the left hand holds a low chord tied across the bar line. The rocking figure continues at the slower tempo.

4. 3:16
   The right hand climbs again

   The right hand climbs from ppp under the marking Con moto. The left hand rests briefly, then holds chords in the treble clef. The semiquavers climb, the chords begin to move, and a crescendo takes both hands to f.

5. 3:34
   Sextuplets rise to the high octave

   The right-hand semiquavers descend over held left-hand chords, with a diminuendo. The bass then stops, and rising sextuplets take the hands into the high octave at pppp. Two closing chords, marked ppp and pp, end the piece.