Berceuse (Järnefelt)

The Berceuse in G minor (sometimes followed parenthetically by the Finnish translation Kehtolaulu or by the English translation Cradle Song) is a concert piece for violin and accompaniment written in 1904 by the Finnish composer Armas Järnefelt. Originally for violin and piano, the piece is better known as an arrangement for violin and orchestra that Järnefelt made the same year. At this time, he also made a version of solo piano.

Along with the earlier Prelude (Preludi) for orchestra (1900), the Berceuse is Järnefelt's most well-known piece—together, their popularity has "eclipsed" the composer's other works. Indeed, the two "melodically charming miniatures" frequently are recorded together. A typical performance of the Berceuse lasts about three minutes.

History
According to Järnefelt, he wrote the Berceuse in one sitting, having been inspired upon seeing his young daughter, Eva (then about two-years old, having been born on 7 November 1901), asleep in bed with a fever. Appropriately, then, it is a peaceful, "beautifully atmospheric" cradle song with a touch of melancholy, as the solo violin's main theme is "warm" yet "sorrowfully songful".

Järnefelt sold the Berceuse to the Helsinki-based publishing house of Fazer Music (Konrad Fazer), which in 1905 began issuing the piece—in all three versions by the composer—in conjunction with the German firm Breitkopf & Härtel. The version for violin and piano, moreover, includes a dedication to the Swedish violinist Sigrid Lindberg.

Music
It is scored for violin solo, 2 clarinets (in B♭), bassoon, 2 horns (in F), and strings. The tempo is marked Andante; the piece is in time signature and the key of G minor.

Recordings
The sortable table below lists commercially available recordings of the Berceuse:

Notes, references, and sources

 * Notes


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 * Sources