Frédéric Chopin
Ballade 1
in G Minor, Op. 23
From the very first notes in the first Ballade there’s a feeling that Chopin means to tell us something extraordinary – a tale that grows slowly until we reach the powerful and ecstatic coda.
Piano score: PS Urtext 
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Chopin's romantic vision
With the publication of this work, Chopin introduced the term "ballad" into piano music. He was possibly inspired by his compatriot, the poet Mickiewicz, who gave his own definition of the literary ballad: ‘a tale spun from the incidents of everyday (that is, real) life or from chivalrous stories, animated by the strangeness of the Romantic world, sung in a melancholy tone, in a serious style, simple and natural in its expressions’. No doubt, Chopin had a similar vision of this highly Romantic genre. This is pure romanticism, a music that speaks with great urgency, spontaneity, and even violence.Background
The origins of the first Ballade are shrouded in mystery. All we know is that it had been written by 1833 and was published three years later. A tradition links the work with Chopin’s sojourn in Vienna around 1830, which seems probable because it has little in common with the ‘brilliant’ style to which Chopin returned during his early Paris years.
The first Ballade has always been one of Chopin’s most popular works. Not only was it featured in the 2002 film “The Pianist,” but it was also a favorite of many figure skaters who skated to medals performing to it. Interestingly, the publisher of the Guardian newspaper, Alan Rusbridger, himself an amateur pianist, strove to learn the piece in a year. It took him 16 months, and he wrote a book about it called “Play it Again: An Amateur Against the Impossible.”
Forum posts about this piece:
Repetoire for competition by jaquet
Hi there, im looking into joining a major competition in two years and im just planning the repetoire now. Could you guys give me some advice for some repetoire by Bach which is very polyphonic, beautiful and...
Top 5 Favorite Piano Pieces in Minor by the_franzliszt
Post your top 5 favorite piano pieces in MINOR KEY. + 1 Piano Concerto in Minor Chopin - Ballade No.1 in G Minor Scriabin - Etude in D-Sharp Minor Liszt - Sonata in B minor Chopin -...
Ballade no 1 by ravelfan07
If you were to exclude the ending, how difficult is Chopin’s Ballade no...
chopin by piabanoch
Help me, i have played op 25 n 2 etude, fantaisie impromptu, scherzo n 3 and some chopin waltz. Can i play ballade n 1? i can post a video to show you how i can...
Should I play the Chopin 1st Ballade? by busondelssohn
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Inter-practice pieces by bradderz
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Practice methods for an intermediate-advanced beginner by rolvetheprotogen
Hello all! Ive lurked these forums for about a week now, but I made an account for this. I first took interest in the piano last october and self taught, but never had much practice time. Ive learned bits and...
Chopin vs Chopin by lucasejp
Between Chopin's Etude Op.25 no.11 'Winter Wind' and his ballade no.1 in G minor Op.23, what did people who have played both found harder? Personally, I found the Etude harder as the ballade has...
Does anyone have any tips for learning Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G Minor? by setdak
This is the longest piece I've ever attempted. I'm not really sure where to start. I've tried to find sources online on the techniques Chopin himself used to practice, but I haven't found...
New Piano Concerto? by horowitz_admirer
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Piano learning by pianomateus
Tips to learn and master the Coda from Chopin Ballade...
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Hi everybody, So I have an important solo recital with plenty of time to prepare in advance and my teacher told me that I should collect some ideas for a large scale romantic work and I am having a bit...
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Hello everyone, I'm 16 years old and I've been playing piano for almost 9 years. I realize that there isn't a set-in-stone skill requirement that you need in order to help people improve at the...
Fingering, Chopins 1st Ballade by siiben
Anyone who's played this piece will recognize this part. I'm having trouble using the suggested fingering - it gets too cramped and crowded in there. Especially using fingers 4->5 for C -> D-flat...
Musicianship Skills by swilliams002
I have studied piano for 10 years now and consider myself fairly advanced (preparing to play the Bach-Busoni Chaconne in recital, have learned Chopin's Ballade in G Minor, among other works). Recently, I...
Roadmap for Chopin's ballade in G minor by omonbateau
Hello everyone! My dream is to be able to play Chopin's ballade in G minor, but I know that I'm still far from having the level to try and learn it yet. I came here looking for advice on...
G minor ballade octaves with small hands by judiciary
I have been tinkering with the Chopin G minor ballade for the past year on and off. One of the things that prevents me from feeling fully comfortable with it is the eighth note RH octave scales in the middle of...
Most technically challenging works you've learned/are learning by hmoll53
Just bored and new to this website, so I thought I would start with a discussion. I'm more or so looking into the technical difficulty of things, since musicality isn't really a topic to measure on.
Introduction of Chopin's G minor Ballade by caters
I am unsure if what I have so far of my analysis is correct, so I thought I would ask you guys. It's just the introduction I'm having trouble with. This is just one of many examples for my music theory...
Trying to get more into Liszt by modderkevin
So I’ve recently learned Sonetto 104 del Petrarca for my first Liszt piece and I’m wondering what other Liszt pieces I should be looking at going forwards. My most recent rep is Chopin Ballade No.1,...
Still on Chopin and Partimento by jlmap
Still talking about Chopin and Partimento, I found something that may be interesting. In the Ballade in G minor, beginning in measure 24, we get a prolongation of iv harmony (I made the analysis in the...
Chopin, Partimento and "Imagining the sound" by jlmap
I'm an amateur trying to learn music theory and ear training by myself, and I've been struggling with Ijzerman's book "Harmony, Counterpoint, Partimento" for some time. I tried to learn it...
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This piece is composed by Frédéric Chopin and was published in 1835. Title: Ballade 1, Op. 23 in G Minor from Ballades. The difficulty level if graded by ABRSM would be approximately 8+ and it belongs to the Early Romantic period.