Chopin's “Berceuse”, composed in 1844, is one of his most frequently performed works and was regarded by subsequent composers as the prototype of the instrumental lullaby. This piece that Chopin initially named “Variantes” was composed around the time of his great Sonata in B minor op. 58 and was renamed “Berceuse” only when it went to print.

In it, the composer systematically subjects a four-measure motif to a series of variants which are linked in a continuous flow over an ostinato figure. ...