Fauré’s Berceuse, Op. 16: Christian Ferras

berceuse is a “cradle song,” set in a gently rocking 6/8 meter. Gabriel Fauré composed the beautiful and fleeting Berceuse, Op. 16 for violin and piano about 1879. This remastered performance by the French violinist Christian Ferras and pianist Ernest Lush was released in 1951.

Born in 1933, Christian Ferras was one of the greatest exponents of the elegant, sonically colorful Franco-Belgian school of violin playing. Illness led to his early and tragic death in 1982. His legacy continues on numerous recordings, including this one:

Recordings

  • Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16,  Christian Ferras, Ernest Lush Amazon

About Timothy Judd

A native of Upstate New York, Timothy Judd has been a member of the Richmond Symphony violin section since 2001. He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where he earned the degrees Bachelor of Music and Master of Music, studying with world renowned Ukrainian-American violinist Oleh Krysa.

The son of public school music educators, Timothy Judd began violin lessons at the age of four through Eastman’s Community Education Division. He was a student of Anastasia Jempelis, one of the earliest champions of the Suzuki method in the United States.

A passionate teacher, Mr. Judd has maintained a private violin studio in the Richmond area since 2002 and has been active coaching chamber music and numerous youth orchestra sectionals.

In his free time, Timothy Judd enjoys working out with Richmond’s popular SEAL Team Physical Training program.

1 thought on “Fauré’s Berceuse, Op. 16: Christian Ferras”

  1. This is a great piece; thank you for sharing. I was actually listening to his Berceuse from the Dolly Suite, Op. 56, which I think has more of a lullaby feel to it.

    My two favorite berceuses are Stravinsky’s (from the Firebird Suite) and (my ultimate favorite) Chopin’s Berceuse.

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