Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année: Supplément, Venezia e Napoli

Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année: Supplément, Venezia e Napoli is said to have begun composition between 1837 and 1839, concurrently with the preceding Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année: Italie. It is believed that Liszt was inspired by melodies he likely heard in Venice and Naples. In 1840, it consisted of four pieces (the first piece of this initial version used the same theme as the symphonic poem Tasso. The first and second pieces of the initial version were not used, and the third and fourth pieces were revised into the current "Gondoliera" and "Tarantella").

Subsequently, it was revised in 1859 and published by Schott in 1861, taking its current form (at which time, Liszt instructed that all three pieces should be performed consecutively).

No. 1, "Gondoliera"

"No. 1, 'Gondoliera'" takes its theme from the canzonetta La biondina in gondoleta by Giovanni Battista Perucchini. It is a light and bright piece, as if waves and light change their expressions in various ways. The ends of this first piece and the second piece are separated by double bar lines.

No. 2, "Canzone"

"No. 2, 'Canzone'" is based on a theme from the opera Otello, a representative work from the Neapolitan period of the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868). It has an unsettling mood, emphasized by the tremolo in the accompaniment. The ending does not conclude with a perfect cadence, but rather leads into the third piece.

No. 3, "Tarantella"

"No. 3, 'Tarantella'" is derived from a theme by Guillaume Louis Cottrau (1797-1847) and is often performed as a standalone piece. Compared to the previous two pieces, its performance time is slightly longer, and virtuosic passages are prominent. Tarantella is a folk dance from Southern Italy. It is also famous for the legend that dancing this dance cures those bitten by the poisonous tarantula spider. It is a vibrant dance in 6/8 time, used in piano pieces by composers such as Chopin and in this work itself since the 19th century.