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Chopin, Frederic : Ballade no.2 F-Dur Op.38

Work Overview

Music ID : 463
Composition Year:1836 
Publication Year:1840
First Publisher:Breitkopf und Härtel
Dedicated to:Robert Shumann
Instrumentation:Piano Solo 
Genre:ballade
Total Playing Time:7 min 30 sec
Copyright:Public Domain

Commentary (2)

Author : Oshima, Kazumi

Last Updated: July 5, 2022
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Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

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.
  • 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.
Writer: Oshima, Kazumi

Author : Asayama, Natsuko

Last Updated: July 1, 2008
[Open]
Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

There are several ways to observe the styles Chopin employed in his piano works, but one possible classification is into lyrical and narrative categories. Representative examples of the former are the Nocturnes and Mazurkas, while typical examples of the latter are the Ballades and Scherzos.

In lyrical compositions, each phrase and melodic figure is often presented in a list-like manner, with very loose connections between them, whereas in narrative compositions, one can perceive a clear dramatic arc 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 section moving from 'turn' to 'conclusion'). Furthermore, individual motives may develop through techniques such as variation, inversion, repetition, and expansion; even without the elaborate workmanship found in Viennese Classical sonatas, multiple themes are intricately combined to construct 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 kind of musical space, where the music remains, subtly transforming, without clear progression or return.)

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 for this is that these are genres unique to Chopin; examining the traditions of genres from which they might have originated yields no clues. However, even if they cannot be distinguished by their external musical form, their musical content—their 'narrative content,' so to speak—differs somewhat.

The term Scherzo means 'joke' in Italian, and traditionally referred to bright, light, small-scale 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 motive appears, interjecting at various points. Furthermore, contrasts in dynamics are specified, alternating in short cycles within each section.

Such techniques are largely absent in the Ballades. Each motive and each note is bound by its preceding and succeeding context, allowing no deviation. Somber themes appear one after another, accumulating to form a torrent, ultimately leading to a catastrophic conclusion. This stands in contrast to the Scherzos, which alleviate this kind of stress with light-hearted figures and even comical contrasts.

It is also worth noting that all four Ballades are written in compound duple meter, while the Scherzos are in triple meter, which could be considered their only external distinguishing feature. However, since the Scherzos largely form phrases of two measures throughout, they still contain the strong driving force of a 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 poems correspond to which pieces, none have been definitively confirmed and remain popular beliefs. However, even if Chopin did indeed compose based on certain poems, it is unlikely that the composer's true intention was to confine works that blossomed with such rich musicality to a single storyline, thereby limiting the listener's imagination.

Taking a broader view, ballads as a song genre were popular around Warsaw in the 1820s, and it is conceivable that this literary genre was familiar to Chopin's intellectual life. Furthermore, 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 the unique new genre of the Ballade.

Ballade No. 2 is structured as an alternation between an Andantino in the rhythm of a Siciliana and a Presto con fuoco accompanied by furious sixteenth-note arpeggios. Each section is varied upon its reappearance. Moreover, the sections gradually begin to alternate in shorter cycles. Here, one can easily perceive a struggle between 'stillness' and 'motion,' 'sanity' and 'madness.' However, it is a stillness that is invaded, a sanity that is eroded. The second Agitato theme is recapitulated with interruptions and digressions, gradually revealing that the true madness lies not in the Presto theme, but in the Andantino theme. Particularly significant is the Andantino theme that appears at measure 115 under the designation Tempo I. Dissonant notes are grotesquely intertwined with this theme, making it profoundly unsettling. Meanwhile, the Presto theme and the Agitato coda that ultimately takes over, while accelerating, maintain an almost exact 6/8 meter; even with variations, the harmonic rhythm is fast and simple, without significant digressions. They merely increase in volume and intensity. The Andantino theme, returning for only four measures at the end, is left unfinished and powerless, and the fierce struggle concludes with a short, feeble three-note cadence. The momentary tranquility regained here is, in fact, a semblance of sanity already tainted by madness.

Viewed in this way, Ballade No. 2 offers almost no redemption. However, according to Schumann's testimony, when Chopin played it for him in 1836, it ended in F major. Chopin apparently continued to revise it until its publication in 1840, and also played various versions for others. This indicates that the work was one of Chopin's cherished masterpieces, and its seemingly simple structure was chosen after careful consideration.

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