For centuries, babies and children all over the world have been rocked to sleep with a song to calm them. Whether parents sing or play, or press play, they know that music so often soothes with success. Composers have written lullabies for different reasons – sometimes as standalone songs or pieces and sometimes as part of a larger work. Here is a variety of restful tracks to foster the sweet dreams of all!

Artists

Ashley Wass (piano), Jenö Jandó (piano), Idil Biret (piano), Einar Steen-Nokleberg (piano), Stefan Veselka (piano), Véronique Gens (soprano), Peter Nagy (piano), Dorothy Linell (lute), Steven Rickards (counter-tenor), Francois-Joel Thiollier (piano)

Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lille, Peter Breiner, Anthony Bramall, Alexander Rahbari, Keith Clark, James Judd, Jean-Claude Casadesus

Works Bax: Lullaby Brahms: Songs (5), Op. 49 Brahms: Lullaby, Op. 49 No. 4 (Lullaby) Canteloube: Brezairola Chopin: Berceuse in D flat major, Op. 57 Chopin: Nocturne No. 8 in D flat major, Op. 27 No. 2nd Debussy: Clair de Lune (from Suite Bergamasque) Debussy: Reverie Dowland: Come heavy sleep Dvořák: Two Piano Pieces, B.188, Op. posth No. 1: Lullaby in G major Dvořák: Two Piano Pieces, Op. posth, B. 188 Elgar: Chanson de Nuit, Op. 15 No. 1 Fauré: Berceuse, Op. 16 Grieg: Lyric Pieces V (6), Op. 54 Grieg: Nocturne (from Lyric Pieces Op. 54) Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream - incidental music, Op. 61 Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream: Nocturne Mendelssohn: Songs without Words, Book 6 (6), Op. 67 Mendelssohn: Song without Words, Op. 67 No. 1 in E flat major Mendelssohn: Song without Words, Op. 67 No. 2 in F sharp minor Mendelssohn: Song without Words, Op. 67 No. 3 in B flat major Mendelssohn: Song without Words, Op. 67 No. 4 in C major 'Spinning Song' or 'Bee's Wedding' Mendelssohn: Song without Words, Op. 67 No. 5 in B minor Mendelssohn: Song without Words, Op. 67 No. 6 in E major 'Lullaby' Mendelssohn: Songs without Words, Book 6 (6), Op. 67: No. 36 in E major Schubert: Lullaby, D498 Schumann: Children's Scenes, Op. 15 Schumann: Dreaming (from Children's Scenes, Op. 15) Stravinsky: Berceuse from The Firebird Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite Tchaikovsky: Album for the Young, Op. 39 Tchaikovsky: Douce rêverie (No. 21 from Album for the Young, Op. 39) Conductors Breiner, Peter Casadesus, Jean-Claude Judd, James Rahbari, Alexander