John Link asked, about "Summertime" from Porgy & Bess:
>Is this a lullabye? What constitutes a lullabye, anyway? I've thought
>that it had to be in a triple meter. Is that necessary?
Hm. Never thought about it. True, the famous Brahms Lullaby is in
3, but then again the *other* famous Brahms Lullaby (Geistliches
Wiegenlied, from the viola songs) is in 4. The short answer, then,
is that lullabies don't have to be in triple meter. It's not like a
march, which has to be in a duple meter or else the soldiers would
trip over their feet. (A pacifist's march might be in 3!) I guess
rocking a baby to sleep doesn't have to be in a particular meter...
Naomi Gurt Lind
P.S. Yes, "Summertime" is regarded as a lullaby. What qualifies it
as such? In the opera, Clara sings it to her baby.
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