Felix Mendelssohn ： Songs Without Words Book5 Venetian Boat Song No.3 in a-moll MWV U 151 Op.62-5

Supported by the gentle rhythm of a boat song, the right-hand melody rises like a long-breathed vocal line. The flowing accompaniment should maintain the music’s momentum while remaining transparent enough not to cover the principal melody. The piece can be understood as centered on a lyrical main section, with a passage that changes the sonority and expression before returning to the character of the opening. In performance, shape each phrase as a singer would, avoiding an overly mechanical evenness in the smaller notes and preserving a supple pulse that suggests the boat’s motion. Use the pedal to connect the resonance without creating muddiness, keep the inner voices and accompaniment restrained, and carefully bring out the quiet shading and lyricism that form the work’s main appeal.