Methodist Girls' School, Cassia Chang and Grace Sen (Piano Duet)

A composer of the late Romantic tradition, Gabriel Faure’s works are often described as bridging the gap between the Romantic period and the more harmonically complex style of the 20th Century. However, the Berceuse, which was written when the composer was just 19, shows a transparency of harmony and a lightness that sits in stark contrast with some of his later works. Now a staple of the modern piano duet repertoire, the first public performance of the suite was given by Alfred Cortot and Édouard Risler in 1898. The secondo part was intended to be played by the teacher, and the primo by the student. The descriptive titles of the pieces are uncommon of Faure, who ordinarily disliked fanciful titles for pieces, and would prefer that the music he composed was music for music’s sake. The Berceuse, or lullaby, was presented to the family of Régina-Hélène Bardac, known as Dolly to her family, on her first birthday. Displaying Faure’s classic musical refinement, it consists of three sections written in ABA' form, with the distinctive middle section contrasting with a thinner and more delicate texture than the sections before and after it. The texture of the piece is light, rarely exploring the lower reaches of the keyboard, in keeping with the impression of childlike naïveté Faure intended to portray. This dreamy lullaby is characterised by a dronelike, rocking motif in the bass, bringing to mind the rocking of a cradle.