berceuse

noun

ber·ceuse ber-ˈsœz

-ˈsüz

plural berceuses ber-ˈsœz

-ˈsüz

-ˈsü-zəz

: a musical composition usually in ⁶/₈ time that resembles a lullaby

: lullaby

Did you know?

The lullaby is a standard of classical music. German composer Johannes Brahms is perhaps best known for his "Wiegenlied: Guten Abend, gute Nacht" ("Good evening, good night"), Op. 49, No. 4, published in 1868, purportedly written for a friend to celebrate the birth of her son. Compositionally, a berceuse is similar to a lullaby, particularly in its soothing refrain often set to a rocking rhythm usually in 6/8 time. Among the earliest examples of works known by that name is Frédéric Chopin's Berceuse in D-flat Major (1843-44), written for piano; Franz Liszt, Camille Saint-Saëns, and Maurice Ravel also composed berceuses. The word berceuse is indicative of its use as an aid to sleep-it derives from the French bercer ("to rock") and ultimately from the Old French bers ("cradle").

Examples of berceuse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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The third berceuse is from a late scene where one of the guests attempts a magic ritual and fails, demanding the slaughter of an innocent person. —

Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2023 The second of two great septuagenarian pianists passing through New York this week brings with him an all-Chopin program, featuring two sets of nocturnes, a couple of ballades, a scherzo, a berceuse and the third of the composer’s sonatas. —

David Allen, New York Times, 18 May 2017