Chopin, Frederic : Ballade no.1 g-moll Op.23
Work Overview
Publication Year:1836
First Publisher:Breitkopf und Härtel
Dedicated to:Baron de Stockhausen
Instrumentation:Piano Solo
Genre:ballade
Total Playing Time:9 min 30 sec
Copyright:Public Domain
Commentary (3)
Author : Oshima, Kazumi
Last Updated: July 5, 2022
[Open]
Author : Oshima, Kazumi
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.
Author : Asayama, Natsuko
Last Updated: July 1, 2008
[Open]
Author : Asayama, Natsuko
There are several ways to observe the styles Chopin employed in his piano works, but one possible classification is into lyrical and narrative. Representatives of the former are the Nocturnes and Mazurkas, while typical examples of the latter are the Ballades and Scherzos.
In lyrical compositions, phrases and motifs are often enumerative, with very loose connections, whereas in narrative compositions, one can perceive a sense of kishōtenketsu (introduction, development, turn, and conclusion) within a single piece. The reason for this clear dramatic quality is, firstly, the distinct harmonic progression, particularly the well-adhered-to dominant-tonic pattern (the part that moves from "turn" to "conclusion"). Furthermore, individual motifs may develop through techniques such as variation, inversion, repetition, and expansion; even without the elaborate workmanship seen in Viennese Classical sonatas, multiple themes are intricately combined to create the piece.
In other words, works with a narrative structure, such as the Ballades, Scherzos, and Bolero, create a dynamic and dramatic musical time that progresses inevitably from beginning to end, and these elements constitute key points for appreciation. (As an aside, in lyrical works, the listener's ear is allowed to wander within a musical space, so to speak, where the music subtly transforms but largely remains, with no clear sense of return or progression.)
Differences between Ballades and Scherzos
Now, where do the differences lie between the Ballades and Scherzos, of which four pieces each remain? It is most evident from the music itself that these genres are closely related within Chopin's oeuvre. Moreover, it seems almost impossible to clearly distinguish between the two genres based on their form. One reason is that these are genres unique to Chopin, and examining the traditions of the genres from which they are thought to originate yields no clues. However, even if they cannot be distinguished by their external musical form, their respective musical content, or the "story" they tell, differs somewhat.
The Scherzo
"Scherzo" means "joke" in Italian, and traditionally referred to short, light, and bright pieces in a simple form. Even when Beethoven incorporated it into the third movement of his sonatas, replacing the minuet, it was still given an extremely rapid and humorous character. Chopin's Scherzos, at first glance, seem to completely contradict this tradition, being dark, serious, and large-scale. However, when compared to the Ballades, it becomes clear how much humor the Scherzos actually contain. In all four Scherzos, more than one extremely rapid and leggiero motif appears, interjecting at various points. Furthermore, intense dynamic contrasts are specified in each section.
The Ballade
Such techniques are largely absent in the Ballades. Each motif and each note is bound by its preceding and succeeding context, allowing no deviation. Melancholy themes appear one after another, accumulating to form a torrent, ultimately leading to a catastrophic conclusion. This is in contrast to the Scherzos, which resolve this kind of stress with lighthearted motifs and even comical contrasts.
Incidentally, all four Ballades are written in compound duple meter, and the Scherzos in triple meter, which could be considered their only external distinguishing feature. However, since most of the Scherzos form one phrase every two measures throughout, they still contain the strong driving force of duple meter.
The Ballade was a name Chopin first used for his piano works, and it is said to have been directly inspired by the ballads of the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz. While there are various theories as to which specific poem corresponds to which piece, none have been definitively confirmed and remain popular beliefs. However, even if Chopin did indeed compose based on a particular poem, it is unlikely that the composer's true intention was to confine such richly musical and accomplished works to a single storyline, thereby limiting the listener's imagination.
Taking a broader view, ballad-like songs were popular in and around Warsaw in the 1820s, and it is conceivable that this literary genre was familiar to Chopin's intellectual life. In addition, Schubert's ballads and ballad-like arias used in Parisian grand operas also greatly impressed Chopin. Therefore, it should be seen that all these experiences converged to give birth to Chopin's unique new genre, the Ballade.
Ballade No. 1
Ballade No. 1 largely adheres to "sonata-allegro form," that is, the form of the first movement of a sonata. After a 7.5-measure introduction, the Moderato section (from m. 8) presents the first theme with a dance-like triple meter rhythm and arpeggiated chords with appoggiaturas; the Meno mosso section (from m. 68) introduces a bright second theme sung broadly across a wide range; the development section begins a tempo (m. 94); and the recapitulation (m. 166) begins with the return of the second theme. The first theme (Meno mosso, m. 194) appears very briefly, serving merely as a bridge to the coda. The coda (from m. 208) is marked Presto con fuoco, and after short motifs are repeated with urgency, the piece concludes with magnificent passage work spanning the full width of the piano keyboard.
Thus, it can be said that in this work, Chopin borrowed the framework of the narrative—rather than from a literary genre—from traditional musical forms.
Author : Ooi, Kazurou
Last Updated: March 12, 2018
[Open]
Author : Ooi, Kazurou
Arrangements & Related Works(3)
ZEN-ON MUSIC co.,LTD.: Ballade No.1
Total Performance Time: 3 min 40 sec
PTNA & Partner Channel Videos(19items) View More
- favorite_border
- 0
Recording Date: 2023/9/24
Recording Location: プレイ新丸子サロンホール PLAY ShinMaruko Salon Hall
- favorite_border
- 0
Recording Date: 2023/3/23
Recording Location: 東音ホール(公開録音コンサート 第279回)
Reference Videos & Audition Selections(8items)
Sheet MusicView More
Scores List (27)

(株)全音楽譜出版社

(株)全音楽譜出版社

(株)全音楽譜出版社

(株)ドレミ楽譜出版社

(株)全音楽譜出版社

(株)リットーミュージック

(株)ドレミ楽譜出版社

KMP(ケイ・エム・ピー) ケイエムピー

(株)全音楽譜出版社

ハンナ(ショパン)

ハンナ(ショパン)

KMP(ケイ・エム・ピー) ケイエムピー

ハンナ(ショパン)

(株)リットーミュージック

ハンナ(ショパン)

(株)シンコーミュージックエンタテイメント

(株)シンコーミュージックエンタテイメント

KMP(ケイ・エム・ピー) ケイエムピー

KMP(ケイ・エム・ピー) ケイエムピー

ジェスク音楽文化振興会

(株)ドレミ楽譜出版社

(株)共同音楽出版社

(株)全音楽譜出版社

(株)音楽之友社

Peters