Nocturne No. 1 in A minor

by Friedrich Burgmüller

Joel Stamoolis, cello

Dante Palau, guitar

Joel writes: The lullaby feel of this nocturne for cello and guitar by German composer Friedrich Burgmüller makes me think of Ecclesiastes 5:12, “Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much.” This biblical proverb is echoed in the traditional Swedish proverb, “Work sweetens the sleep.” The second half of Ecclesiastes 5:12 reminds us that the opposite is also true: “but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. This is echoed in a traditional Albanian proverb: “A day without work can yield a night without sleep.” If you fall asleep during our performance, may your rest be sweet.