Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) composed four Ballades during his lifetime. The first, Ballade No. 1, Op. 23, composed in 1831, opened up a new genre of piano music.

From the 18th to the mid-19th century, the term "ballade" in music was exclusively used for lieder (songs). In Chopin's time, while Schubert (1797-1828)'s lieder gained popularity, songs based on poems by Goethe (1749-1832), Schiller (1759-1805), and Lenau (1802-1850) were written by composers such as Schumann (1810-1856) and Loewe (1796-1869). Chopin was the first to use the term "ballade" for an instrumental work, and thus, he is positioned as the pioneer of the ballade genre in piano music.

Etymology and Origin

While the French "ballade" and English "ballad" originally belong to different genres, both derive from the Greek "ballizo" (βαλλίζω) and Latin "ballare," meaning "to dance." As indicated by the shared etymology with ballet, which developed as a stage dance, the ballade is also deeply connected to dance. From the Middle Ages onward, its status as a poetic form was elevated by troubadours in France. In England, ballads were sung as dance-songs in the 14th century and developed into narrative poems with strong melodic elements from the 18th century onward.

As a Precursor to Romantic Literature

In the late 18th century, German poets enthusiastically engaged in the creation of ballades, opening new frontiers in German literary and musical history. Goethe and Schiller were the key figures in this movement. The ballades of Goethe and Schiller reflected the social climate around the French Revolution, where freedom from despotism and oppression was advocated, and also promoted the awakening of national consciousness. Their thematic characteristics include realistic depictions of war, crime, supernatural phenomena, and mystical experiences, based on folklore and mythology. Such literary works led to the development of lieder, with many ballades (songs) being created by composers such as Schubert, Zelter (1758-1832), and Loewe.

In the early 19th century, German ballades were translated into Polish, influencing Polish Romantic writers, including Mickiewicz (1798-1855). English ballads were also introduced around the same time. Polish ballades, which adopted the characteristics of these foreign narrative poems, featured themes depicting the humiliating national situation under foreign rule and patriotism. The fact that the Russian Empire's secret police viewed Mickiewicz's ballades as dangerous was precisely due to the nature of these works.

Chopin's Ballades

Chopin's four Ballades have been associated with Mickiewicz's ballades. While there are disagreements regarding the direct connection between the music and the poems, it is believed that Ballade No. 1, Op. 23, was inspired by "Konrad Wallenrod"; Ballade No. 2, Op. 38, by "Świteź"; Ballade No. 3, Op. 47, by "Świtezianka"; and Ballade No. 4, Op. 52, by "The Three Budrys." This assertion largely relies on Schumann's testimony, but it cannot be definitively stated that Chopin attempted to set Mickiewicz's works to music.

An overview of Chopin's life as a composer reveals a figure who was reluctant to compose operas, program music, or sacred music, and instead focused on expressing his unique Romantic worldview through the piano. For such a Chopin, Mickiewicz's narrative poems, which keenly articulated the Polish spirit, were likely an aspiration and an ideal. Having departed for Vienna in 1830, dreaming of success as a musician, Chopin moved away from popular historical operas and works using popular song melodies, stepping onto the main path of Romanticism, where "sincere emotional expression" was the primary concern. The Ballades, composed in this context, represent a new genre of music, "narrative poems for piano," and are monumental works for Chopin, defining his direction as a composer. Their main characteristic lies in their meticulous weaving of the essence of the ballade, as previously mentioned, with original structures and forms, thereby completing a musical narrative poem. Another feature is the presence of elements that evoke literary connections, such as melodic inflections that suggest a narrative, and a clear structure of light and shadow.

Ballade No. 1, Op. 23 in G minor

In 1831, having left his homeland and settled in Vienna to establish himself as a musician, Chopin began composing several works. One of these was Ballade No. 1. In 1835, Schumann highly praised this piece and told Chopin:

"Of all your works, this is the one I like best."

Chopin then paused, thought for a moment, and said:

"I am very pleased. In fact, this is also my favorite piece."

Ballade No. 1 was published in 1836 and dedicated to Madame de Stockhausen. There is a theory that this piece was inspired by Mickiewicz's narrative poem "Konrad Wallenrod." While the truth is uncertain, it is highly plausible that Mickiewicz's works, which resonated with many Poles at the time, were familiar to Chopin and influenced his contemplation of the concrete form of the ballade.

Here, Chopin incorporates several musical traditions, such as dance-like elements and pastorale, while completing the ballade as a work that far exceeds the framework of vocal ballades, both formally and in scale. It is also said that Chopin disliked the Wiener Walz and galop, which were popular in Vienna during his stay. His negative perception of popular music may have led Chopin to create new art music. Chopin's compositional approach—not aiming for universal appeal, nor being bound by popular trends or fixed ideas—enabled the expression of sudden emotional fluctuations and uncontrollable passions, thereby enhancing the artistic precision of the ballades.

Thus, while Chopin's ballades exhibit a remarkable improvisatory quality, the works themselves tell how meticulously they are constructed and how they are based on literary and musical research.

Chopin's first Ballade opens with a resolute C note. Formally, it is close to sonata form. After the initial C note is sustained for a long time, a seven-measure introduction unfolds. A mysterious, song-like scale concludes with a strange dissonance. The first theme, played calmly to a 6/4 rhythm, is noble and full of pathos. This theme is often described as "waltz-like" due to its dance-reminiscent accompaniment (Taruskin et al.).

Following the first theme, after a dramatic transition, a calm and modest second theme is presented. This theme appears a total of three times, interspersed with returns to the first theme, and changes significantly each time it is recapitulated. The thematic changes here differ from virtuoso variations. The first and second themes appear alternately, organically intertwining and transforming, moving towards a distinct conclusion.

While the first theme does not undergo as dramatic a change as the second, its fragmented recapitulations are full of tension, greatly intensifying the emotion just before the coda, and transitioning into a fiercely dynamic concluding melody. The coda is consistently imbued with tension, with brief pauses that abruptly cut off dramatic musical ideas and faintly echoing chords further heightening the suspense. As fragments of the first theme, ascending unison scales, and descending octave scales deepen the tragic color, the piece concludes.

References (All citations in the text are based on these sources.)

• Chopin Ballades: New Edition with Commentary (Commentary by Kazumichi Oshima), Tokyo: Ongaku no Tomo Sha, 2014.
• Barbedette, Hippolyte, Chopin: Essai de critique musicale, Paris: Leiber, éditeur, librairie centrale des sciences, 1861.
• Huneker, James, Mezzotints in Modern Music: Brahms, Tschaïkowsky, Chopin, Richard Strauss, Liszt and Wagner, New York, Scribner, 1901.
• Huneker, James, Chopin: The Man and His Music, New York: Dover Publications, 1966.
• Karasowski, Moritz, Frederic Chopin, Volume 2, New York: Scribner, 1906.
• Leichtentritt, Hugo, Frédéric Chopin, Berlin: Harmonie, 1905.
• Niecks, Frederick, Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician, London, Novello and Co., 1902.
• Samson, Jim, Chopin: The Four Ballades, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.
• Taruskin, Richard, The Oxford History of Western Music: Music in the Nineteenth Century, vol. 3, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
• Tomaszewski, Mieczysław, Chopin: Człowiek, Dzieło, Rezonans, Kraków: Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, 2005.
• Willeby, Charles, Frederic François Chopin, London: Sampson low, Marston & Company, 1892.