1.Cradle Song

The Op. 16 collection of romances was the second set of songs by Tchaikovsky. It contains several worthwhile efforts, among them the leadoff item, Cradle Song. Also known simply as "Lullaby," it features a rocking rhythmic accompaniment from the piano that some will find to have a mesmerizing effect, while others will hear it as somewhat tedious in its seeming lack of variety. Its melody, however, is captivating in its soaring Russian melancholy and haunting beauty. If the piano part becomes a bit obsessive, it is at least effective in producing a dark atmosphere, sounding ethereal and otherworldly, hardly coming across as the underpinning to a simple cradle song. A variant or second subject of the vocal theme appears twice and is brighter and warmer, but cannot break the nocturnal mood, as the piano remains largely mired in the repetitious, rhythmic gloom. This song, a setting of text by Apollon Maykov, is an imaginative, atmospheric creation whose dark melody is striking. Typically, Cradle Song has a duration of four or five minutes.

© All Music Guide