Repertoire Piece: “Sleep, My Girl,” a Lullaby for Movement
Paulino Paredes (1913-1957) was a prolific and multifaceted composer born in Michoacán (Central México). His compositions range from symphonic works (ballets, solo concerti, and symphonic poems), musical theatre, sacred works for choir and organ, and solo organ, chamber music (lieder, string quartets), and solo piano music. Among his solo piano works, “Duérmete mi niña” (“Sleep, my girl”) belongs to a piano album composed for his daughter Pilar in 1947.
The harmonic language of Paredes’s piano album is full of tonal ambiguity, dissonances resolved in non-traditional ways, meter changes, irregular phrasing, and rhythmic grouping. “Sleep, my girl” is an example of a beautiful lullaby written in compound duple meter.
The distinctive siciliana rhythmic pattern is heard all the way through the piece, starting with the second beat of the introductory thirteen-measure phrase. Alongside, an interval of an augmented sixth prepares the beginning of the sway.
Topics to Explore in Movement
The quartal chords and open fifths used in the sway sections give a feeling of floating in space. The phrase rhythm is irregular and varies between groupings of 4+8 measures, 6+9, 3+6, 10 (4+6). Furthermore, introductory material is presented again at the end of the piece which gives a sense of roundness.
Paredes uses fermatas to emphasize phrase endings and to allow the piece to take deep breaths since he thought of it as a lullaby to her daughter.
“Sleep, my girl” may be used to work on a few themes such as: a) compound duple meter, b) the siciliana rhythmic pattern; and c) irregular phrasing and breathing. All of these elements could be explored to great success in the form of a plastique animée.
Find more information about good repertoire pieces for Dalcroze sessions, or on plastique animée on our website!
