Ballade No. 1 in G minor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ballade No. 1 | |
 |
|
| Composition by Frédéric Chopin | |
| Form: | Ballade |
|---|---|
| Key/Time signature: | G minor, (Intro) 4/4, (Body) 6/4, (Coda) 2/2 |
| Tempo | Largo, Moderato |
| Date of composition: | 1836 |
| Composition number: | Op. 23 |
The Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Opus 23 is the first of Polish composer Frédéric Chopin's four ballades for piano solo. It was composed in 1835-36 during the composer's early days in Paris, and is dedicated to "Monsieur le Baron de Stockhausen," Hanoverian ambassador to France.
Chopin cited the poet Adam Mickiewicz as an influence for his ballades (this according to a rumour based on a remark by Robert Schumann concerning the genesis of Chopin's second ballade). The exact inspiration for each piece is not clear.
The music is built from two main themes, the first being introduced in bar 7 after the short introduction, and the second in bar 69. Both themes return in different guises. The piece is in compound duple time (6/4) except for the short introduction (in 4/4) and the coda (in 2/2). Sections of the piece are technically demanding, similar in difficulty to Chopin's Scherzo No. 2, and its complex structure combines ideas from sonata and variation forms. It is considered to be the most technically demanding and risky Ballade's, as it includes many outbursts and upbeat phrases.
[edit] Trivia
- The ballade was played in the film The Pianist by Janusz Olejniczak. An approximately 4 minute-cut is heard in the film, while a full version is included in the film soundtrack.
- Schumann wrote in a letter to Heinrich Dorn about the Ballade, "I received a new Ballade from Chopin. It seems to be a work closest to his genius (although not the most ingenious) and I told him that I like it best of all his compositions. After quite a lengthy silence he replied with emphasis, 'I am happy to hear this since I too like it most and hold it dearest."
- In the coda ("Presto con fuoco") there is a passage which is very similar (probably intentionally) to one of the third movement of Beethoven's Sonata No. 23 ("Appassionata").
[edit] Recordings
- Public domain recording, Musopen.
[edit] External links
- Sheet Music at the International Music Score Library Project
| No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23 • No. 2 in F major, Op. 38 • No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 47 • No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52 | |
| List of compositions by Frédéric Chopin |
 |
This article about a classical composition is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
