Lullabies
"A soothing refrain," runs one dictionary definition for "Lullaby", or, more specifically, "A song to quiet children or lull them to sleep." Surrender to a timeless musical form that covers all traditions with this playlist, lullabies – some sung, some wordless instrumental works – interlaced with other works that soothe and lull.
Read more…- Strauss•Lieder (Songs) op. 41 TrV 195: No. 1 Wiegenlied (Arr. for Trumpet and Orchestra)•Sanft bewegt
- Arlen•Wiegenlied (1937)•I. Singet leise, leise, leise
- Clarke•Lullaby for Viola and Piano (1909)•Lullaby
- Crawford Seeger•Little Lullaby (1923)•Little Lullaby
- Pejačević•Berceuse op. 20•Berceuse
- Clarke•Lullaby on an Ancient Irish Tune for Viola and Piano (1913)•Lullaby
- Garrop•Songs of Lowly Life for Chorus (2011)•4. Lullaby
- Bowen•Berceuse in D major op. 83•Berceuse for Piano in D major op. 83
- Pejačević•Berceuse for Piano op. 2•Berceuse
- Cilea•Berceuse op. 20 (1895)•
- Bridge•Berceuse H. 8 (Version for Cello and Piano)•Andante con moto
- Barber•Petite Berceuse for Piano (1923)•Moderato con espressione
- Zarębski•Berceuse op. 22•
- Rimsky-Korsakov•Sadko: 'Ne schest' almazov v kamennykh peshcherakh' (The Indian Guest, Scene IV) (Song of the Indian Guest) (Arr. for Viola and Piano)•
- Mompou•Fantasy on 'Au clair de la lune' for Piano (1946)•
- Gershwin•Lullaby (1919) (Version for String Orchestra)•Molto moderato e dolce
Lullabies can be charmingly naive or more sophisticated, often suffused with nostalgia, sometimes meditations on parenthood, childhood or sleep itself. But primarily it's where we hear composers' most personal and moving utterances; where we gain a glimpse into the domestic lives of artists who themselves were loving parents, doting aunts or uncles. And in the case of Ilsa Weber's "Wiegala" it's a form that takes on a heartbreaking poignancy. The final song on this playlist was written by Weber while she was interred in the Theresienstadt transit camp before she and her young son died in Auschwitz in 1944.