BALAKIREV BERCEUSE

This beautiful cradle song dates from 1901. The title page has the following note by Balakirev (translated from Russian):

‘A loving mother sings, rocking her son to sleep. The child falls asleep, but he is frightened by a bad dream and he wakes up, crying. The mother again sings a little song to him, and the child falls asleep lulled by a marvellous dream: he sees little golden butterflies fluttering to the sound of little silver bells.’ Every detail of the composition reflects not only the actions, but also the innermost feelings and experiences of both mother and child – hence the difficulties!

Andantino section (bars 1-28)

In the first three bars, and in bars 54-56, one has to produce the most delicate pianissimo imaginable. Balakirev uses ppp very rarely and then only at the end of a section, usually on the last chord, but what is required here is of that nature. Picture the scene: a mother tenderly places her beloved, already drowsy son into a cradle and begins singing very softly. This passage should be even more magical in bars 54-56 (note the ppp marking in bar 53!) after the child has woken up crying, the mother has soothed the infant and, as sometimes happens, the baby falls asleep: wouldn’t you hold your breath?

‘Every detail of the composition reflects not only the actions, but also the innermost feelings and experiences of both