Berceuse (chopine) – Wikipedia

The Lullaby (Ninna Nanna) In King Bemolle Maggiore op. 57 is a piano composition of Fryderryk Chopin written between 1843 and 1844.

The first part of 1844 was a very difficult period for Chopin; The loss of the father had grieved him to the point of taking away his desire to compose. In the summer, with the arrival in Paris of the beloved sister Ludwika, the musician recovered morally; In the autumn he wrote the Sonata op. 58 and, probably, the composition of the Lullaby of which he had already put a first drafting on paper the previous year. ^[first] Certainties on the date of realization of this work there are none, not even in the letters of the musician, but it is assumed that, sketched in the autumn of 1843, the Lullaby It was finished between August and autumn of the following year. ^[first] The original title was Variants since the piece is based on a series of variations; The denomination didn’t like Chopin much and his friends suggested to him to change it in Lullaby Since the part of the left hand reminded a cradle of ninna bed. ^[first]

The musician, who needed money having spent a lot to hosterer his sister, initially found difficulty selling the composition, as well as for the Sonata Op.58 . At that time publishers had problems finding sufficient liquid money. ^[first] The composition was finally sold to the publisher Wessel who published it in 1845, as well as Meissonnier and Breitkopf & Härtel. Chopin dedicated the Lullaby To one of his students, Mademoiselle Elise Gavard.

The Lullaby door as an indication Andante And it is 6/8 in time. He is one of the latest masterpieces written by the Polish musician. It can be considered as one of Chopin’s most experimental works; It consists of a series of fourteen variations on a very short, original theme of the musician ^[2] The Variations previously written by Chopin were all on arias of other authors or on popular themes, such as Variations on a German national air O Souvenir of Paganini . In this new work, the theme is original and very short, only four jokes, preceded only by the introduction of the bass in the two initial lines. The variations are made by enriching the melody as they are with ornaments and embellishments that become part of the theme itself; there Lullaby “It could be considered as the apotheosis of ornamentation”. ^[3] The variations take on the appearance of a improvisation as it is no longer identifiable from each other, but creating a disintegration of the initial theme into a dust of harmonic digressions made by exploiting the timbre of the instrument in all its possibilities of colors. ^[4] Chopin wrote a job of this finesse and perfection that discourages any other musician who wants to write another ninna nanna . ^[5]

The execution of this song places many difficulties. The light sounds, elusive to the limit of impressionism, require the pianist a great delicacy in the touch, especially in the very light obstinate bass that creates the cradle atmosphere, while trying not to fall into a huge attitude. In addition, the use of the pedals assumes considerable importance; Chopin indicated it in a measured way in his compositions, especially that a rope; The fact that there are two different indications, both approved by the musician, in two different editions (Meissoner and Breitkopf & Härtel) very much complicates the interpretative realization of the pianists. ^[first]