Should the Brahms Ballades Op. 10 be played together?

[wulfgang]

Hey everyone,

Long time no see! I wanted to dip in and see what the community at large thought of these works. Can they stand on their own or do they require a performance together?

Op. 10 No. 4 is just so dreamy; can a listener receive all it has to convey without listening to the first three in the set?

[lelle]

Just personal opinion here, but I think they are both suitable to be played separately, or as a sequence. What do you prefer?