Chopin's Ballade No. 2 & No. 4

Chopin wrote four ballades at various times throughout his life. They are some of most exquisite yet technically demanding solo piano pieces of the nineteenth century. It is through these ballades that Chopin reached his height as an artist.

Just as John Field invented the nocturne, Chopin was one of the first composers to associate the term “ballade” with music. Ballades are single-movement pieces that describe folk-like, narrative poetry. Some historians claim that Chopin’s pieces were influenced by the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz’s narrative poems; however, this subject continues to be disputed. Influenced by Chopin, Liszt and Brahms also wrote ballades of their own, presenting an intriguing study on ballade styles by different composers.

Chopin’s Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38
I enjoyed listening to this piece because:

• The alternating sections switch well from graceful to “heavy duty”, exhilarating sections, offering a refreshing change from Chopin’s iconic nocturnes
• Each section gives has the storytelling quality that is characteristic of ballades

It seems reasonable to think that Chopin use an introduction in his ballades, but unlike his Polonaises, op. 61 or Fantasy, op. 49, there is none. However, it does contain a coda with a virtuosic frame of mind. The opening Andantino is charmingly beautiful, with chorale-like C’s played in unison. The second section, Presto con fuoco, is full of dramatic energy that comes from a fortissimo dynamic, falling arpeggios, and octaves in both hands. In fact, the entire section will remind the listener of a thunderstorm. The gentle theme is stated in A minor, then again in G minor. Chopin then incorporates variations on both the Andantino and presto con fuoco themes.

Chopin introduces his coda abruptly via descending unison trills in the bass register to create a more dramatic effect. In a sense, this serves as a hint to listeners that something more is coming. The coda section, Agitato is impressively written, with the right hand persistently playing double note figures while the left hand plays a supporting role in octaves and broken chords. The range of dynamics is interesting here: forte climaxes to fortissimo; suddenly, the piece concludes in pianissimo by echoing the main theme, which reminds listeners of the basis of the ballade. Interestingly though, Chopin writes his conclusion in A minor, not the original F major from the opening. Why he chose to do this will remain a mystery.