Barcarolle no. 6 in E flat major, op. 70
Romantic Barcarolle Piano solo 3 min
In brief

This barcarolle unfolds a rocking, introspective flow where phrases sway with a gentle nostalgia rather than dramatic outbursts, calling for a steady, soft rhythmic underpinning. The score particularly demands Nuances (4.4/5) — you will need to shape small crescendos and diminuendos within phrases to avoid abruptness — and careful use of the Pédale de sustain (4.3/5), requiring precisely timed pedal releases to keep harmonic clarity while sustaining resonance. The piece belongs to the late Romantic period and exemplifies the composer’s intimate, refined piano writing, placed among his works that favor inner song over showy virtuosity. I do not give a recommended recording because I am not fully confident of a single authoritative interpretation for this specific piece.

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Is this the right work?
MusicCoach difficulty
58/100
Intermediate
Likely range : 46–70/100
Confidence : 35% · to confirm
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
About grade 6 to 7

Estimated from our difficulty score, not taken from an exam syllabus. Checked against 333 works on the ABRSM syllabus: the exact grade is right 7 times out of 10, and within one grade 99 times out of 100.

Difficulty estimate by MusicCoach on a scale of 1 to 100.

Where this work sits
050100

Most works cluster between 45 and 65: a small score gap often marks a real step. The highlighted bar shows this work among those for the same instrument.

The MusicCoach difficulty measures a work's overall demands (technique, reading, stamina) on a shared 0-100 scale, consolidated from editorial and pedagogical reference points (Henle, exam syllabuses, curation) and our own analyses. It measures neither musical value nor the practice time YOU will need: two musicians of the same level can experience the same work very differently depending on their strengths (hands used to octaves, quick sight-reading…). The confidence reflects how many reference points sit behind the score and how well they agree — a lightly documented score is flagged “to validate”. For a truly personal bearing, the diagnostic and your space compare each work to YOUR estimated level, which the score alone cannot do.

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Relative difficulty
42%
Among Gabriel Fauré
51%
Era Romantic
32%
Genre
Estimated skills
Tone
Hand balance
1
Pedaling
Sustain pedal
1
Interpretation
Dynamics
2
Technique
Legato
2
Style
Romantic style
1
Rhythm
Tempo rubato
1
Interpretation
Phrasing
1
What to play next?

Each suggestion combines difficulty gap, risk, confidence and skill overlap. The first two cards in each column are the most useful pedagogically.

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