In the summer of 1844, Chopin again spent the season in Nohant, in the company of Mrs. Sand and her children. This time they were joined by Ludwika Chopin, Frédérik's older sister, whom Frédérik had not seen since his departure from Warsaw, 14 years earlier. As usual, they resumed walks and excursions in the region, as well as evenings out, after a day of gratifying work.
The singer Pauline Viardot-Garcia, was unable to attend. She was on tour. On her behalf, she left her little daughter with them, in the care of Mrs. Sand. There is speculation that the little girl may have been the inspiration for the lullaby Chopin began to write that year in Nohant (although it is hard to imagine Frédérik engaged in cuddling with a baby).
The work, completed in 1844, was published the following year with a dedication to a very dear person to Chopin, his pupil and admirer Elise Gavard, who would become great support after his breakup with George Sand in 1847 and who would be present at his deathbed two years later.
Berceuse opus 57 in D flat major
The short and simple piece is the only lullaby that Chopin composed. But it was enough for him to elevate the form to a higher category of art, from which other composers, Liszt among them, took inspiration. The work takes the form of theme and variations, with a melodic line supported by the simplest harmony imaginable: tonic and dominant, a basso obstinato that runs through the whole piece, from beginning to end, entrusted to the left hand. The variations are 14 in number, with increasing difficulty until the middle of the piece and then return to the simplicity of the beginning.
The rendition is by the French pianist Elizabeth Sombart, who after adding a couple of biographical details about Chopin, illustrates on the keyboard the work to be done by the left hand, then shows us the theme and the most complex variation. After this introduction, she begins her excellent performance at 1:50.
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