barcarole

American  

[bahr-kuh-rohl] / ˈbɑr kəˌroʊl /

Or barcarolle

noun

1. a boating song of the Venetian gondoliers.

2. a piece of music composed in the style of such songs.

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barcarole British  

/ ˌbɑːkəˈrəʊl, ˈbɑːkəˌrəʊl, -ˌrɒl /

noun

1. a Venetian boat song in a time of six or twelve quaver beats to the bar

2. an instrumental composition resembling this

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Etymology

Origin of barcarole

1605–15; < Venetian barcarola boatman's song, feminine of barcarolo, equivalent to barcar- (< Late Latin barcārius boatman; see bark ³, -ary) + -olo (≪ Latin -eolus )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

barcarole

Long-held but shifting sonorities here suggest a barcarole as a voyage to the underworld.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 30, 2014

As the Sicilian men intone shocked syllables in a martial rhythm, a carefree barcarole suddenly emerges from a passing boat carrying ladies and gentlemen to the ball.

From New York Times ● Jul. 7, 2013

Then one song and another was called for, and the night rang with ballad and barcarole, glee and round.

From The Merryweathers by Julia Ward Richards

He ran upstairs, singing a barcarole at the top of his voice, and rushed into the room, waving the model ship above his head.

From Stories by English Authors: Africa (Selected by Scribners) by W. C. (William Charles) Scully

He struck at first only broken chords, that became finally the haunting barcarole of Tales of Hoffmann.

From The Valiants of Virginia by Hallie Erminie Rives

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