This work was written two years before the famous Requiem. It is in G-flat major, 6/8 time, with the tempo marking Andante quasi Allegretto. This barcarolle's tempo marking demands contradictory musical qualities: fast yet calm, and slow yet quick. The middle section, written in F-sharp major, the enharmonic equivalent of the tonic, is intermezzo-like. The entire piece is skillfully constructed through charming harmonic progressions.