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.
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:
Ballade no 1 by ravelfan07
If you were to exclude the ending, how difficult is Chopin’s Ballade no 1?...
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 t...
Should I play the Chopin 1st Ballade? by busondelssohn
Hello, I have been playing piano for about eight years. I went through a few bad teachers, but know I have a really good one who knows her s...
Inter-practice pieces by bradderz
I am currently completing my grade 7 (ABRSM) in roughly two weeks. I have been practicing consistently 5-10 hours a day, which some consider...
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...
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 fou...
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 tech...
New Piano Concerto? by horowitz_admirer
Hello all I have just learned Mozart 21 and am going to be playing it with an orchestra in about March-April time, but the question has ari...
Piano learning by pianomateus
Tips to learn and master the Coda from Chopin Ballade no.1....
Romantic Large Scale Work by thenerdicpianist06
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 som...
When SHOULD You Start Teaching? by chrism05
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...
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 ...
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 learn...
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 ...
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 co...
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 o...
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 havin...
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...
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...
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 "Harm...
Chopin Ballade #1 Op.23 — the pain (literally)... by pianowhisper
Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well. It's been a while since I last posted but I thought I'd pop by to ask for some advice...
Union Gottschalk by rys928
Hello, I have a question for those who have played Gottschalk's Union. I'm touching up Chopin's Ballade 1. Next week, I want to...
Member's recordings of piece:
Videos: Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Bizet-Horowitz and Mompou recital by dinoimeri
Hello, Piano Street friends. I did a recital recently (20th of July, 2023) with the following works: [u]Main program[/u] [i]- F. Chopin - ...
Chopin - Ballade No. 1 by chopinsimp
youtu.be/UDsf4ZdOZOI Willing to take harsh comments, still want to improve and re-record....
Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23 - Piano, Luca Rebola by madaquando
A recording of 2016. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN9-RCGamXQ Comments are welcome! ...
Unconventional Chopin's First Ballade in Wine Bar by madaquando
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6SKiErK_AA Comments are welcome!...
Members who like this piece have also downloaded:
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.