No matter our origin, there is a great chance that we were once lulled to sleep as infants. A lullaby is a soft, gentle song which is meant to put a baby to sleep. Lullabies are often referred to as cradle songs, and they are very calming and melodious which have been sung for centuries to soothe babies and small children to sleep.
The singing of lullabies is not peculiar to a given culture as they have been sung in virtually every language known to man. Lullabies are made of a few simple, rhythmic verses which are either sung or played on an instrument. In some of the cases, these lullabies are accompanied by a gentle back and forth rocking motion in a cradle or the arms which have been effective in soothing the baby to sleep. The slow and uneven tempo of the lullabies are similar to the mother’s heartbeat which is felt by the baby even before birth thus making lullabies an excellent means of bonding with and calming an infant.
Today, just as it has been mentioned earlier, the act of singing lullaby has been improved in such a way that the song can be accompanied or played on piano or other instruments. These instruments are used to determine the category of the lullaby being played for example is Brahms lullaby instrumental.
From time immemorial, simple melodies and music from the world’s greatest composers have been sung or hummed by loving parents or caregivers with the aim of comforting and calming the babies. The soft, gentle and melodious sound of the music gives the infant or small children a feeling of serenity and security which facilitates the rate at which they fall asleep.
While the melody or tune of these songs may sound quite appealing to the ears there are times they may not be as pleasant or touching as the story behind them. These songs come with a great history and lesson which everyone ought to learn about. Focusing on this strength, we shall channel the rest part of this article into sharing the history of Brahms’ Lullaby.
HISTORY OF BRAHMS’ LULLABY
Brahms’ lullaby was originally a German song with the title “Wiegenlied: Guten Abend, gute Nacht”, which when translated, means “Lullaby: Good evening, good night”.
This is perhaps one of the most well-known and easily recognizable of all lullabies published in 1868. It was written by Johannes Brahms for his friend Bertha Faber, to commemorate the birth of her second son.
This song is mostly found in mobiles hanging above baby cribs, music boxes and are often integrated into children’s toys or played over an instrument. Brahms Lullaby piano is also used as a refrain that accompanies a cartoon character that has been knocked on the head.
When next you hear Brahms’ lullaby piano or Brahms’ lullaby instrumental, know that it goes beyond just a song but one that has been dedicated to the birth of a wonderful child.