berceuse

Music for drowsiness

A berceuse is a lullaby or a piece of music with the gentle, rocking quality of a lullaby.

The term appears most often in classical music, where composers have written berceuses as piano pieces or orchestral movements meant to evoke the soothing rhythm of rocking a child to sleep: Chopin's Berceuse in D-flat major.

lullaby

cradle

Rocking bed for infants

nighttime · motherhood · bedtime · tender · dreamland · soothe · whisper · softness · comfort · slumber

soothing

calm

Free from agitation

peaceful · quietude · restful · comforting · relaxing · dreamy · lulling · melodic · harmonious · flowing

composition

nocturne

Contemplative keyboard piece

  • pianoKeyed percussion instrument
  • ChopinPolish Romantic pianist-composer
  • soloPerformance by one

recital · parlor · salon · romantic · nineteenth-century · lyrical · expressive · rubato · arpeggios · pedaling

Opposites
musical character/tempo

berceusemarch

Rhythmic group walk

military march · tarantella · galop · toccata · scherzo

intended effect on listener

berceusereveille

Military dawn summons

war song · battle hymn · fight song · call to arms · dance music

Family

lullabies

Familiarity
Top 1,000,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Positive · Rated G