Chopin's first Ballade

[chopiabin]

I really love this piece, and I was wondering if anyone knows how much experience is needed to pull it off. It seems to me that the hardest part would be memorizing it. Has anyone played it? How long did it take before you were able to play it through relatively well?

Chop

[Dave_2004_G]

Haven't played it but am also thinking about it - general consensus is that it's pretty damn difficult

Dave

[krenske]

Well... this is the one piece that Horowitz thought he could never get perfect! I haven't heard a good Ballade 1 yet either, except in my imagination:)

[johnreef]

The first Ballade is technically difficult, musically difficult, but very very easy to memorize. I have heard many many recordings and have not yet found one wherein I like everything the pianist does in interpretation. Michelangeli playes the first presentation of the second theme better than anyone else (in my opinion) but the rest is too disjointed....Arrau plays wonderfully until the coda, where he gets a bit too dry. Rubinstein is wonderfully musical but lacking a bit intellectually. Paderewski misses the point of the whole piece. Richter (contrary to his stereotypes) changes the dynamics and is inconsistant with his pedaling, but musical nevertheless. Zimmerman is too weird. So you have to buy all of them.

[thracozaag]

 Two best performances on disc I've heard (both live performances): Hofmann and Gilels.

[IgnazPaderewski]

This piece isnt hard to play at all, it is reasonably simple tecnically. But, if you play the ending in time it can get extremely taxing, but NObody ever does (just count from the coda till the end and youll see what I mean). And for god sakes do not yield to tradition and do meaningless tempo changes that are not written, just follow what is in the score and DO NOT listen to any recordings if you want to play the piece as chopin wanted. Zimmerman is the only recording I have heard that bears any resemblance to what is on the page (possibly rubinstein too). Horowitz CANNOT play this piece on any level, he cannot even hit the right notes (even in early recordings), so avoid his recordings like the plague.

[thracozaag]

This piece isnt hard to play at all, it is reasonably simple tecnically. But, if you play the ending in time it can get extremely taxing, but  Horowitz CANNOT play this piece on any level, he cannot even hit the right notes (even in early recordings), so avoid his recordings like the plague.

 *chuckle*

[IgnazPaderewski]

That is the most grammatically obscure paraphrase of my post that could possibly be concocted, do you disagree with what I said? I don't know how to read your chuckle....

[dj]

i have a horowitz recording that isn't bad, in fact my piano teacher likes horowitz's recording the best. i personally prefer rubinstein though. as to playing it, it's still a bit above my head, but im getting there

[eddie92099]

I very much enjoyed listening to Idil Biret,
Ed (running for cover)

[IgnazPaderewski]

Tee hee..... I've got an argerich recording of this live in carnegie

[eddie92099]

Tee hee..... I've got an argerich recording of this live in carnegie

So the perfect recording does exist  . Can you send me it?
Ed

[thracozaag]

I very much enjoyed listening to Idil Biret,
Ed (running for cover)

Nothing to be embarrassed about, it's quite good, I agree.