Berceuse (Chopin)
| Berceuse | |
|---|---|
| Piano lullaby by Frédéric Chopin | |
Pencil drawing of the composer by George Sand, 1841 | |
| Other name | Variantes |
| Key | D-flat major |
| Opus | 57 |
| Form | variations |
| Composed | 1843/44 |
| Dedication | Élise Gavard |
| Published | 1844 |
Frédéric Chopin's "Berceuse", Op. 57, is a lullaby to be played on the piano. He composed it in 1843/44 as variations in D-flat major. Chopin originally called his work "Variantes". "Berceuse" was first published in Paris in 1844 by Jean-Racine Meissonnier, dedicated to Chopin's pupil Élise Gavard, and appeared in London and Leipzig the following year.
Written late in his career, the lyrical piece features complex figurations in the continuous flow of variations on a calm bass in always soft dynamics, shaping the music by texture and sonority.