Composed 1879: 4 minutes

Debussy once called Fauré “the master of charms,” and the Berceuse proves the point. Published in 1880, it earned Fauré his first publisher (Hamelle) and his first wide audience. The initial print run of 200 copies ballooned to 700 within a year, and the piece quickly became a hit, arranged for countless instruments. Fauré himself produced an orchestral version. But he had sold the rights to fund publication of his First Piano Quartet. Its gently rocking theme embodies French elegance—no surprise from a composer whose middle name was Urbain.