Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924) created his Berceuse in early 1880, first for violin and piano. It was heard by the publisher Julienne Hamelle who immediately snatched it up for publication.

The work, for muted violin and piano, has a rocking accompaniment, as would befit a cradle song with a lilting, singing melody.

Gabriel Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 (version for violin and piano) (Pierre Amoyal, violin; Pascal Rogé, piano)

It was given its premiere in Paris with Ovide Musin on violin and the composer at the piano. The first recording was made in 1912 with Eugène Yasÿe as soloist. For the publisher, the work was an immediate success, selling some 700 copies in its first year in print.

Ovid Musin

Later, Fauré added an orchestration and found a new audience in the concert hall.

Gabriel Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 (Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian, violin; Bretagne Orchestra; Moshe Atzmon, cond.)

It was immediately taken over by other instruments, including as a vocalise. As you listen to these, consider if the work successfully works for the new voices.

Gabriel Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 (arr. for voice and harp) (Maria Jette, soprano; Judith Kogan, harp)

For flute and harp

Gabriel Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 (arr. for flute and harp) (Eszter Horgas, flute; Andrea Vigh, harp)

For flute and piano

Gabriel Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 (arr. R. Howat for flute and piano) (Cocomi, flute; Niu Niu, piano)

For cello and piano

Gabriel Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 (arr. for cello and piano) (Maria Kliegel, cello; Nina Tichman, piano)

For oboe and piano

Gabriel Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 (arr. for oboe and piano) (Tomoyuki Hirota, oboe; Yuta Yano, piano)

For euphonium and piano

Gabriel Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 (arr. for euphonium and piano) (Fabian Bloch, Euphonium; Muriel Zeiter, piano)

For violin and guitar

Gabriel Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 (arr. M.I. Siewers) (Amiram Ganz, violin; María Isabel Siewers, guitar)

For cello and guitar

Gabriel Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 (arr. for cello and guitar) (Claremont Duo)

For viola and piano

Gabriel Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 (arr. for viola and piano) (Esther Apituley, viola; Rie Tanaka, piano)

And even for Panpipes and piano

Gabriel Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 (arr. for panpipes and piano) (Ulrich Herkenhoff, panpipes; Matthias Keller, piano)

The organ arrangement transports it to a larger venue.

Gabriel Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 (arr. W. Adolph for organ) (Wolfram Adolph, organ)

The arrangements are not all successful – the panpipes lack the ability to hold the phrase long enough, and many of the arrangements seem to be more facile than meaningful. The organ version, although beautiful, is by no means a cradle song any longer – the poor child would be blasted out of its sleep!

Although no longer a prime feature on the recital circuit for violin, the ‘small gem of a piece’ was a favourite for many years. The key, as you will have heard through the many examples there, is getting the tempo correct and, more importantly, getting the soloist to give the heart back to the work.

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