Berceuse in D-flat Major, Op. 57

Composer: CHOPIN, Frédéric
  • Chopin completed this Berceuse (Lullaby) in 1844, and it was first published in 1845.1
  • Chopin dedicated this work to Élise Gavard, one of his piano students.2
  • This is one of many works that Chopin composed at George Sand’s summer home in the town of Nohant. From 1839-1846, Chopin did much of his composing during his summer visits there.3
  • Chopin did much of his work on this composition in the summer of 1843. Pauline Viardot’s young daughter Louisette was at George Sand’s home for the summer while her mother was on a concert tour. Chopin may have been inspired to write a lullaby since there was a little child in the house.4
    • Supporting this theory is the fact Pauline Viardot ended up with an early sketch of the piece.5
    • Baby Louisette grew up to be the singer, composer, and teacher Louise Héritte-Viardot. 
  • This work’s melody is based on a Polish lullaby that Chopin knew from his childhood: Już miesiąc zeszedł, psy się uśpily (The moon now has risen, the dogs are asleep).6

Sources

  1. Kornel Michałowski and Jim Samson, “Chopin, Fryderyk Franciszek,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed October 18, 2021, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000051099.
  2. Ibid.
  3. Ibid.
  4. Idil Biret, liner notes to Chopin: Ballades, Berceuse Op. 57, Fantasie Op. 49, Biret, Naxos 8.550508, CD, 1992.
  5. Mieczysław Tomaszewski, “Berceuse in D flat major, Op. 57,” The Fryderyk Chopin Institute (2021), accessed October 18, 2021, https://chopin.nifc.pl/en/chopin/kompozycja/121. 
  6. Ibid.

Cut IDs

11497 13628 14955 18532 20834 21051 22924 40179 41369 41786 43682 44715