Born in Kiev in 1847 Wallner studied the piano counting Liszt, a family friend, as one of his teachers. The family moved to Brussels in 1866 so he could study at the Conservatoire. Within a year however, his father died and Wallner was forced to leave in order to earn a living and so turned to teaching. Wallner wrote several works for viola due to his friendship with Leon van Hout, violist with the Ysaye Quartet. This Berceuse is the last of the Cinq Morceaux dating from 1909.