Story of Chopin: ballade in A-flat major?

[finn magnus]

Robert Schumann said he thought the ballades of Chopin was inspired by some poems of Mickiewicz.

The Ballade no.3 is based on the poem "Undine". Does anyone knows the story of it?
I read that in the Cortot edition of the ballades, it is written something about the poems. Do you have this edition?

Maybe you know the story of the other ballades to? 

[mlha]

Hi, 
I read somewhere that Chopin's No. 1 Ballade was also based on a poem by Mickiewicz and is about a wife killing her husband and laughing with the devil.  The last part of the piece does fit that description, but the middle is very beautiful, so who knows?

[maxy]

It was never really confirmed.  I find the Ballades can stand perfectly well on their own.

I do not know of any poem worthy of being "attached" to any Chopin Ballade. The Ballades themselves are epic poems.

[finn magnus]

Yes, they work as poems, but it would be interesting what Chopin pictured when he composed the ballades. And maybe Roberts Schumann saying is just rubbish. Maybe they are independent ballades without the influence of Mickiewicz poems 

[pianistimo]

i had a huge article about this off the internet from a polish site (translated).  i gave it to my teacher carl cranmer - but i think i can find it again if i try.  you might also, if you type in mickiewicz and search 10-12 googles back.  look for a polish site.  it was quite interesting and the one i remember searching was about a lake.  i think chopin's whole hometown was destroyed and the placid lake covered the horror of all the dead bodies or something.  hope i'm not totally off on this.  chopin was basically living his life in a 'shock' state.  he was very depressed for what happened to his native poland.

[cherub_rocker1979]

i had a huge article about this off the internet from a polish site (translated).  i gave it to my teacher carl cranmer - but i think i can find it again if i try.  you might also, if you type in mickiewicz and search 10-12 googles back.  look for a polish site.  it was quite interesting and the one i remember searching was about a lake.  i think chopin's whole hometown was destroyed and the placid lake covered the horror of all the dead bodies or something.  hope i'm not totally off on this.  chopin was basically living his life in a 'shock' state.  he was very depressed for what happened to his native poland.

Can you post a link if you find it?

[Floristan]

Cortot goes into some detail about the poem.  I'm at work so don't have the score in front of me, but there's this long, introductory footnote that explains everything -- it's the same poem, I believe, that is the basis of Ravel's "Ondine."  It would be a lot to transcribe, and I don't have the time to do it.  The Cortot edition of the ballades is not terribly expensive -- maybe $17 American.  It's worth it (even though the English translation of Cortot's French is a bit tortured).

[nomis]

was it this page: http://free.art.pl/demusica/de_mus_9/09_13.html

[Floristan]

 
This is a link to a page in Polish...do you read Polish, nomis?

[pianistimo]

i found it.  it's in the polish music journal.  www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/PMJ/issue/2.1.99/zakrzewska_bbl.html

click on 'articles text'

some of mickiewicz poems can be found here:

www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/PMJ/issue/2.1.99/zakrezewska.html#mickiewicz

these are long reads - so just read when you have the time.  it's really interesting and gives more of a perspective into the chopin ballades.

[nomis]

This is a link to a page in Polish...do you read Polish, nomis?

Nope.