Dr. Kristina Rizzotto

Official website of the Latvian Brazilian organist Dr. Kristina Rizzotto

Lullaby on Aijā, žūžū, lāču bērni

$9.95

Solo Organ
Duration: 6 min
Pronunciation: AH-ya ZHU-zhu LAH-chu BER-nee
Format: PDF

Aijā, žūžū, lāču bērni (meaning Hush, my little bear cub) or Aijā, žūžū for short is the most well-known lullaby for any Latvian child. The lyrics of the folk song talk about how father bear brought a honey pot from the forest, and mother bear a basket of berries, so that the baby bear may sleep peacefully. I premièred this composition on my European concert tour of August 2019 in Poland, Lithuania, and Norway.

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Description

Solo Organ

This composition is dedicated to my dear son Kristian Walter Rizzotto. Aijā, žūžū, lāču bērni (meaning Hush, my little bear cub) or Aijā, žūžū for short is the most well-known lullaby for any Latvian child. My grandmother and mother sang it to me, and I have continued the tradition with my child since he was born. The lyrics of the folk song talk about how father bear brought a honey pot from the forest, and mother bear a basket of berries, so that the baby bear may sleep peacefully.

The first statement of the melody is when the parent sings for the baby to sleep, sweetly. A contrasting joyful section on the 4′ flute represents the moment when the baby is still not ready to sleep and keeps jumping and playing around. A canonic statement of the tune in a minor key is followed by its final appearance in the tonic key on the pedal line – the firm ground of safety for the child sleeping on the parent’s arms while her mind flies ever higher into the land of dreams.

I premièred this composition on my European concert tour of August 2019 in Poland, Lithuania, and Norway.