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

From the 18th to the mid-19th century, the term "ballade" in music was exclusively used for vocal works. In Chopin's era, while Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Lieder gained popularity, songs based on poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805), and Nikolaus Lenau (1802-1850) were written by composers such as Robert Schumann (1810-1856) and Carl Loewe (1796-1869). Chopin was the first to apply the term "ballade" to an instrumental work, thus positioning him as the pioneer of the ballade genre in piano music.

Etymology and Origin

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

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. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller were the key figures in this development. The ballades of Goethe and Schiller reflected the social climate around the French Revolution, when freedom from despotism and oppression was proclaimed, and they also fostered the awakening of national consciousness. Their thematic characteristics include realistic depictions of war, crime, psychic phenomena, and mystical experiences, often 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, Carl Friedrich Zelter (1758-1832), and Loewe.

In the early 19th century, German ballades were translated into Polish, influencing Polish Romantic writers, including Adam 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 powers and expressions of 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 attribution 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 who instead insisted 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 object of admiration and an ideal. In 1830, Chopin, who departed for Vienna dreaming of success as a musician, 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 the 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. 2, Op. 38 in F major

In 1838, while staying on Mallorca with George Sand (1804-1876) and her family, Chopin completed several major works, including the 24 Preludes, Op. 28. Among these was Ballade No. 2, Op. 38. Chopin dedicated this work to Schumann and it was published by Schlesinger in 1840.

Schumann commented on this work as follows:

"It should be noted that the Ballade is the most remarkable work. Chopin has already written a Ballade of the same name, but this one is one of the wildest and most original. This new piece, though not as artistic as the previous one, is equally fantastic and intellectual. (...) I remember well when Chopin played the Ballade here. At that time, the piece ended in F major, but this time it concludes in A minor. Chopin then said that he had written this Ballade inspired by Mickiewicz's poems."

The relationship between Chopin's Ballade No. 2 and Mickiewicz's ballade "Świteź" has been the subject of much discussion. Even if Chopin's work is not a dramatic musical depiction of Mickiewicz's work, the possibility that "Świteź" had some influence on Chopin cannot be denied. Many views have found a narrative quality in this piece; for example, James Huneker states:

"This piece follows a hidden narrative and possesses the quality of great, unplanned art."

A characteristic feature of Ballade No. 2 is its very clear contrast between light and shadow. While formally simple and clear, it is musically highly sophisticated.

Led by a gentle, brief introduction, the first theme is played in an Andantino tempo, as if slowly spun out. This theme has long been interpreted as a pastorale (Barbedette). Although there are dissenting opinions, the presentation of a theme excelling in simplicity and grace suggests the quiet opening of a tragedy that will unfold dramatically. The sweet melody is suddenly interrupted by the second theme, marked Presto con fuoco, and the character of the piece abruptly changes. Descending and ascending sixteenth notes are furiously repeated in the right hand, while the left hand repeats a melody that seems to incite anxiety. As alarm-like octaves gradually ascend to the high register, the musical character gradually calms, returning to the first theme. The recapitulation of the first theme here is not a complete repetition. It wavers with anxiety, gradually building tension (stretto, più mosso), and abruptly transitions to the second theme. In the coda, furious, dance-like passages are played as if releasing intense passion. Fragments of the second theme are repeated fortissimo, and at the moment when the raging emotions reach their peak, the first theme is suddenly recalled mournfully in A minor. After a sigh-like pause, the piece ends quietly.

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.
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• 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.