Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) composed four Ballades during his lifetime. The first, Ballade No. 1, Op. 23, composed in 1831, pioneered a new genre of piano music.

From the 18th to the mid-19th century, the term "ballade" in music was exclusively used for lieder (songs). In Chopin's time, while Schubert (1797-1828)'s lieder gained popularity, songs based on poems by Goethe (1749-1832), Schiller (1759-1805), and Lenau (1802-1850) were written by composers such as Schumann (1810-1856) and Loewe (1796-1869). Chopin was the first to use the term "ballade" for an instrumental work, thus positioning him as the pioneer of the ballade genre in piano music.

Etymology and Origin

Although the French "ballade" and English "ballad" originally belong to different genres, both derive from the Greek "ballizo" (βαλλίζω) and Latin "ballare," meaning "to dance." As indicated by their shared etymology with "ballet," which developed as a stage dance, ballades are also deeply connected to dance. From the Middle Ages onward, the status of the ballade as a poetic form was elevated by troubadours in France. In England, ballads were sung as dance songs in the 14th century and developed into narrative poems with strong melodic elements from the 18th century onward.

As a Precursor to Romantic Literature

In the late 18th century, German poets enthusiastically engaged in the creation of ballades, opening new frontiers in German literary and musical history. Goethe and Schiller were the key figures in this development. The ballades of Goethe and Schiller reflected the social climate around the French Revolution, where freedom from despotism and oppression was advocated, and also promoted the awakening of national consciousness. Their thematic characteristics include realistic depictions of war, crime, supernatural phenomena, and mystical experiences, often based on folklore and mythology. Such literary works led to the development of lieder, with many ballades (songs) being created by composers such as Schubert, Zelter (1758-1832), and Loewe.

In the early 19th century, German ballades were translated into Polish, influencing Polish Romantic writers, including Mickiewicz (1798-1855). English ballads were also introduced around the same time. Polish ballades, following the characteristics of these foreign narrative poems, feature depictions of the humiliating national situation under foreign rule and expressions of patriotism. The fact that the Russian Imperial secret police viewed Mickiewicz's ballades as dangerous was precisely due to the nature of these works.

Chopin's Ballades

Chopin's four Ballades have been associated with Mickiewicz's ballades. While there are differing opinions on the direct connection between the music and the poems, Ballade No. 1, Op. 23, is said to have been inspired by "Konrad Wallenrod"; Ballade No. 2, Op. 38, by "Świteź"; Ballade No. 3, Op. 47, by "Świtezianka"; and Ballade No. 4, Op. 52, by "The Three Budrys." This attribution largely relies on Schumann's testimony, but it cannot be definitively stated that Chopin attempted to set Mickiewicz's works to music.

An overview of Chopin's life as a composer reveals a figure who was reluctant to compose operas, program music, or sacred music, and instead insisted on expressing his unique Romantic worldview through the piano. For such a Chopin, Mickiewicz's narrative poems, which keenly articulated the sentiments of the Polish people, can be considered an aspiration and an ideal. In 1830, Chopin, who departed for Vienna dreaming of success as a musician, moved away from popular historical operas and works using popular song melodies, and instead embarked on the main path of Romanticism, making "sincere emotional expression" his primary concern. The Ballades, composed in this context, represent a new genre of music, "narrative poems for piano," and are monumental works for Chopin, defining his direction as a composer. Their main characteristic lies in their meticulous weaving of the essence of the ballade, as previously described, with original structures and forms, thereby completing the musical narrative poem. Another characteristic is the frequent appearance of elements that evoke literary connections, such as melodic inflections that suggest narrative, and clear structures of light and shadow.

Ballade No. 4, Op. 52 in F minor

Ballade No. 4 was composed in Nohant in 1842 and published the following year. It is considered one of Chopin's greatest masterpieces, with Polonaise No. 6, Op. 53, being a work composed around the same time.

At the time, some criticized Chopin's works for their technical difficulty, but such views do not diminish the true value of his compositions. Huneker states: "Just as the Mona Lisa and Madame Bovary are masterpieces of painting and literature, [Ballade No. 4] is a masterpiece of piano literature." Karasowski also points out: "This piece is the most poetic and intellectual, and to fully interpret its diverse beauty, it requires not only excellent mechanical skill but also delicate musical perception."

There is a theory that Ballade No. 4 was inspired by Mickiewicz's ballad "The Three Budrys." Regardless of its veracity, the compositional style, which richly varies the theme over a monotonous rhythm, is narrative, and the understated presentation of the theme suggests a "telling."

This work possesses a subtle darkness, as if shrouded in melancholic shadows. This is in contrast to the vibrant and cheerful Ballade No. 3. Regarding this, Niecks notes that "the prevailing sentiment of this piece is one of sorrow."

 In 1842, Chopin experienced the successive deaths of his esteemed teacher Żywny (1756-1842) and close friend Matuszyński (1809-1842), plunging him into a deep depression. Gradually recovering from the shock of loss, Chopin embarked on composing a major work and completed Ballade No. 4. The contrast between light and shadow presented therein evokes the transience and ultimate beauty of human life, completed by life and death.

F minor, Andante con moto. Formally, it is close to a rondo, but more free, with each theme dynamically changing its shape upon repetition. Led by a quietly unfolding seven-measure introduction, the first theme is presented. This introduction, like the first theme of Ballade No. 2, evokes a pastorale. The shaded first theme, sung over the left hand's persistent 6/8 rhythm, changes its character with each repetition, imbuing the piece with diverse qualities. The left hand continues to maintain an unchanging, dance-like monotonous rhythm. Following a transitional passage of ascending and descending sixteenth notes, the second theme appears. The clear, chorale-like second theme is also played modestly, like the first theme, and then undergoes free development. After melancholic passages are repeated and fantastical musical ideas are brilliantly played, the music returns to the introduction. The subsequent recapitulation of the two developed themes is grander. The modest and introspective themes depart significantly from their original forms, beautifully and dynamically recapitulated over sixteenth notes that move across a wide range. It is no exaggeration to say this is Chopin's supreme recreation of beauty. In the coda, complex figures create an eerie atmosphere, and surging, rapid passages are played fiercely and passionately, bringing the piece to an end.

References (All citations in the text are based on these sources.)

• Oshima, Kazumichi (commentary). Chopin Ballades: New Edition with Commentary. Tokyo: Ongaku no Tomo Sha, 2014.
• Barbedette, Hippolyte, Chopin: Essai de critique musicale, Paris: Leiber, éditeur, librairie centrale des sciences, 1861.
• Huneker, James, Mezzotints in Modern Music: Brahms, Tschaïkowsky, Chopin, Richard Strauss, Liszt and Wagner, New York, Scribner, 1901.
• Huneker, James, Chopin: The Man and His Music, New York: Dover Publications, 1966.
• Karasowski, Moritz, Frederic Chopin, Volume 2, New York: Scribner, 1906.
• Leichtentritt, Hugo, Frédéric Chopin, Berlin: Harmonie, 1905.
• Niecks, Frederick, Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician, London, Novello and Co., 1902.
• Samson, Jim, Chopin: The Four Ballades, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.
• Taruskin, Richard, The Oxford History of Western Music: Music in the Nineteenth Century, vol. 3, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
• Tomaszewski, Mieczysław, Chopin: Człowiek, Dzieło, Rezonans, Kraków: Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, 2005.
• Willeby, Charles, Frederic François Chopin, London: Sampson low, Marston & Company, 1892.