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Järnefelt (left) was inspired to compose his Berceuse upon seeing his young daughter, Eva (held by her mother Maikki, right), asleep in bed with a fever.
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 Helsingfors nya musikhandel [fi] (K. G. Fazer [fi]), 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
4 and the key of G minor.
The main theme, beginning at measure 5
Recordings
The sortable table below lists commercially available recordings of the Berceuse:
Notes, references, and sources
- Notes
- Refers to the year in which the performers recorded the work; this may not be the same as the year in which the recording was first released to the general public.
- ^ This liner notes to this recording do not specify the name of the violin soloist.
- R. Bourdon–Victor (20374–A) 1927
- M. Sargent–HMV (B 2618) 1928
- M. Weber–HMV (X 3039) yyyy
- Upon being re-released via the budget label RCA Camden in the 1950s, the National Symphony Orchestra was credited under the pseudonym the "Globe Symphony Orchestra".
- H. Kindler–RCA Victor (10–1245) 1947
- L. Hedwall–Swedish Society (SCD 1007) 1989
- K. Haatanen–Finlandia (FA 906) 1982
- P. Pekkanen–yle (YLE LP 7) 1988
- E. Salonen–Sony Classical (SK 46668) 1991
- L. Segerstam–Ondine (ODE 824–2) 1994
- N. Järvi–DSO (DSOH 01) 1997
- N. Järvi–DG (471 747–2) 2002
- J. Panula–Naxos (8.555773) 2001
- H. Koivula–Sterling (CDS–1021–2) 1997
- J. Kuusisto–BIS (CD–1753) 2010
- References
- ^ Korhonen 2007, p. 46.
- Anderson 2001, p. 2.
- ^ Korhonen 2009, p. 7.
- Sources
- Anderson, Keith (2001). Finnish Orchestral Favorites: Sibelius / Järnefelt / Sallinen / Rautavaara (CD booklet). Jorma Panula & Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. Naxos. p. 2–3. 8.555773.
- Korhonen, Kimmo (2007) . Inventing Finnish Music: Contemporary Composers from Medieval to Modern. Translated by Mäntyjärvi, Jaakko (2nd ed.). Jyväskylä, Finland: Finnish Music Information Center (FIMIC) & Gummerus Kirjapaino Oy. ISBN 978-9-525-07661-5.
- Korhonen, Kimmo (2009). Armas Järnefelt: Symphonic Fantasy / Berceuse / Serenade / Suite in E-flat major (CD booklet). Jaakko Kuusisto & Lahti Symphony Orchestra. BIS. p. 3–7. 1753.
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