Berceuse facts for kids

A berceuse (say "ber-SOOZ") is a type of musical piece that sounds a lot like a lullaby. It's meant to be very gentle and calming, almost like it could help someone fall asleep. These songs often have a smooth, rocking rhythm, usually in a special musical time called 6/8 time. Sometimes, they are also in a triple meter, which also gives a gentle, swaying feel.

Musically, berceuses are usually quite simple and peaceful. They often use basic musical keys and harmonies, like going back and forth between the main "home" note (the tonic) and a "leading" note (the dominant). This keeps the music calm and steady, which is perfect for a lullaby. You won't usually hear wild or complicated sounds in a berceuse because the goal is to relax, not excite! Many famous berceuses, like those by Chopin, Liszt, and Balakirev, are written in keys that sound soft and gentle, such as D-flat major. Chopin was one of the first composers to write music in this style.

Famous Berceuses in Music

Many composers have written beautiful berceuses. Here are some well-known examples:

• Berceuse pour deux notes qui cornent (for two notes which continue), for organ, by Jehan Alain.
• Wiegenlied by Johannes Brahms, often called Brahms's Lullaby, is a very famous cradle song.
• Berceuse, for cello and piano, by Frank Bridge.
• Compositions by Ferruccio Busoni:
  • Berceuse (in C major) Op. 2, for piano.
  • Berceuse (Lullaby), for piano.
  • Berceuse élégiaque.
• Berceuse, for piano, by Frédéric Chopin.
• "Berceuse for the Infant Jesu" from A Little Suite for Christmas, by George Crumb.
• Berceuse Heroique, for piano, by Claude Debussy.
• Two compositions by Gabriel Fauré:
  • Berceuse, Op. 16.
  • "Berceuse" section of Dolly Suite for Piano four-hands, Op. 56, No. 1. This one is sometimes played on violin and piano.
• Berceuse for an Unwanted Child by Reginald Foresythe (1934).
• Berceuse de Jocelyn, a lullaby from the opera "Jocelyn" by Benjamin Godard.
• Berceuse de Jupiter, also known as the song "Que Les Songes Heureux" from the opera "Philémon et Baucis", by Charles Gounod.
• Berceuse from Grieg's Lyric Pieces Op. 38 No. 1.
• "Berceuse" from 114 Songs (1922) by Charles Ives.
• Berceuse by Armas Järnefelt (1904).
• "Berceuse" from 12 Transcendental Études by Sergei Lyapunov.
• Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré by Maurice Ravel for violin and piano.
• One of the famous parts from The Firebird, a ballet by Igor Stravinsky.
• Berceuse for Solo Piano in A flat Major, Op. 72, No. 2, by Tchaikovsky.
• Berceuse (sur les paroles classiques), from 24 Pieces in Free Style, for organ, by Louis Vierne.
• Berceuse for Mallory, a big band jazz song by Steve Spiegl.

Berceuses in Art

The idea of a lullaby or a comforting presence has also inspired artists.

• La Berceuse is a series of famous paintings by the artist Vincent van Gogh. These paintings show a woman named Augustine Roulin, who was a friend of Van Gogh's. The title means "The Lullaby Woman" or "The Rocking Woman," showing her comforting presence.