Chopin Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op 23

BALLADES

Although the term 'ballade' was associated with the French poetry in the 1400s, it was until the 19th century that it was no longer merely used by only poets to tell story. Chopin composed his four ballades during his mature stage after he left his homeland Poland. It is said that Chopin wrote music for the Lithuanian Ballads of the Polish Adam Mickiewicz. Even Schumann mistakenly commented that Chopin's ballades were as programmatic as Schumann's works. This is misleading since Chopin was never interested in music with titles, programs, or characters in the true sense like Schumann. Chopin even did not consider Schumann's Carnival Op.9 music at all. The narrative sequence in Chopin's ballades does not follow any specific format; it is embedded in many unpredictable and creative phrases throughout the music.

Chopin's ballades are pure music in their finest forms without any suggestive narration. Though Chopin was somewhat inspired by the stories of his native Poland and particularly the poems of Adam Mickiewicz, he wanted listeners to follow their own narration through his music. Therefore all analyses on the content of Chopin's ballades are merely suggestions. It is not necessary to know the poem or content to interpret these abstract works. All four ballades are large-scale works, which last from 8 to 12 minutes, in triple time, 6/4 or 6/8, and have poetry, dramatic and contrasting subjects. They all share these common features, but they are no less than individual works and should not be put in or performed as a group. Even Chopin did not intend to do so. He developed individual motives and combined them through innovative modulations for each ballade. In his ballades found many classical forms of sonata, rondo, variations in revised forms and daring flexibility. The ballades combine many traditional forms and creative ｅxpressions, but still in classical and academic standard. 

The ballades are considered the finest of Chopin's creation and among the most representative of romantic music. Liszt, Brahms, among others, also composed the genre ballade after Chopin, but the musical term ballade is widely associated with Chopin and his ballades are among the most frequently played in concerts around the world. Many pianists found the poetic interpretation of these ballades a real challenge once they have mastered the technical difficulty.

Ballade [No. 1], G minor, Op. 23 (Polish), 1833

Composed within several years, finished in 1835, published in 1836, and dedicated to Baron Stockhausen, the first ballade showed Chopin's initial attempt in his formulation of the musical form. It is widely agreed that this ballade was inspired from Mickiewicz's "Conrad Wallenrod". The ballade opens with the strange Largo section in 4/4 and questionable chord D G Eb, which suggests some irresolvable issues that promote the coming first narrative subject in D minor. The first subject is a subtle and simple conversation and long enough to bust in to a stormy and agitated section. After the stormy octaves on the right hand, the 'diminuendo' running arpeggio leads to a silent moment where the C and F seem to look forward to a coming calm and bright scene. So simple yet beautiful is the second subject in Eb major where the 'bel canto' in Chopin shows its best. The question from the first subject arises again but now in A major, suggesting a bigger controversy that the reprise of the second subject replies in its first variation. This variation is more complicated and grandeur with octaves that lead to a mysterious conversation and dance in higher pitch. The modulation through triplets and octaves, followed by the climax in F sharp minor, is still evocative and questionable until the running down of music reinforced by a 'forte' bass Bb. This begins another variation of the second subject, in lower octave and it recalls the previous moments, yet somewhat regretful. The first subject comes again the last time back in its original D minor and leads to the ending coda. The fast and brilliant coda, partly in sonata form, captures all possible dynamic and dramatic elements in music and seems to resolve all questions with the running down of notes to the bottom 'forte' G. Two glissando passages however lead to the climax where the cascading octaves really conclude all the possible doubts and resolutions.

http://www.ourchopin.com/analysis/ballade.html

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/16/musical-moments-what-moves-us/?smid=tw-nytimes