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Berceuse

Sheet Music: Performance Parts

Berceuse : Bb clarinet, violin or viola, cello and piano / Becky Llewellyn.

by Becky Llewellyn (1989)

  • Purchase Price: $32.73 (Usually ships in 3-8 business days) — Add to Cart
  • Library Availability: This item is not available from the Australian Music Centre Library
  • Instrumentation: Bb clarinet, violin or viola, cello, piano.
  • Audio Sample

    Performance by Lights New Music Ensemble from the CD Milerum's basket

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The idea of Berceuse, or 'lullaby' in French came to me when my grandson Jack was born. I remembered the times when I watched the moon set over the sea when breastfeeding my own children. The feeling of this act of intimacy, mother and child, moon and waves, water and milk, seemed a slice of eternity that seared into me.

In trying to compose the essence of this experience, I sought music that ceaselessly rocked back and forth as in a lullaby, but not regularly. It is set in small units of 3/8, then 4/8 time signatures as a way of pulling the ear to the next wave. As the work moves through a cycle of fifths, the four players share melodies and harmonies, including sustained falling seconds. The simplicity of the materials provides scope for each of the musicians to play with their voice rising and falling, as if they were waves of the sea sparkling with moonlight on their crest.

This piece has been performed more than any of my work and contains my favourite instruments. It has been said of the piece, "It makes me homesick for somewhere I've never been."

Originally written for Bb clarinet, violin, cello and piano, Becky rearranged this beautiful piece for string quartet in 2009. As a violin and cello player herself, she is drawn to the magic quality of string ensembles. With the continual changes of tempo, this work would challenge capable secondary school and university quartets, allowing players to work on ensemble and listening as colleagues bring out their singing line.

Published by: Australian Music Centre — 1 set of 5 performance parts (11p. -- A4 (portrait))

Difficulty: Advanced

Duration: 6 min.

Commissioned by Grahame Dudley for performance by Lights New Music Ensemble.

First performance by Lights New Music Ensemble — 20 Jul 90. Little Theatre, Adelaide University

Typeset edition.

Related products

This work is also available in the following products:

Berceuse
Score: Berceuse : Bb clarinet, violin or viola, cello and piano / Becky Llewellyn.

Milerum's basket
CD: Milerum's basket / Becky Llewellyn.

Berceuse
Digital Audio: Berceuse / Becky Llewellyn ; performed by Lights New Music Ensemble

This work also exists as the following versions:
- String Quartets

 

- Browse other works for Quartets: Clarinet, piano, viola, cello

- Browse other works by Becky Llewellyn


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