Hey everyone?
So , which is your favourite of Chopin Ballades?

I love them all , but I believe that there is something everyone should do before he/ she dies.. and that is :
PLAY CHOPIN'S BALLADE NO.1 IN G MINOR !!!

Robert Schumann described its music as" the most daring and spirited of Chopin Compositions"

So...Vote!

I went to see a performance of No4 yesterday - by an 18yr girl old from wells - stunning!

Whoah!! Looks like overwhelming popularity for no1 in G minor then!!

They're all superb. The second has the beautiful contrast between the opening lilting melody and the stormy sections that follow. But I voted for the first, even though it's almost as over-played as the Moonlight Sonata. It really 'takes off' when the second main melody is restated in octaves (page 5 of my edition...hope you know where I mean), and the rest is just irresistibly exciting. Fantastic.

Aww... thanks! *blush*

It has to be the first one, I'll have to play it someday. Not now though, it looks mighty hard.

I've tried many times, over several years (my teacher gave me a copy after I had got my ALCM at age 16) to master No 1 in G Minor. Its not too bad until about halfway through, then it just gets too physically demanding (from about bar 125). Can anyone play those last few bars with accaciacatura'd double octaves?

Are any of the other three easier??

My favourite is No.4, this is one of his late masterpieces and demands a complete command of the instrument.

For my type of piano technique, I find the difficulty of the ballades, in ascending order, is 2,3,1,4.

Kristian Zimmerman's recording is masterly, btw.

I have to agree with Storini - I first heard the Ballades on an old tape recording by Istvan Szekely (I hope I spelt that right!) and was absolutely spellbound by the fourth one. I think it's one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard. I've just started learning it so I'll let you know if I ever manage to play it! Maybe in about twenty years from now?!

The first one is soooooooooooo cool, I played it 6 months ago, and you thread made me to re-visit it again!!

That's my plesure
It's a piece worth playing...

Believe me, it's FANTASTIC!!

I can, for some reason I find the hard bits easy and the easy bits hard. I've conquered the piece now, coming to concert hall near you soon....
Sarah x

I've always loved Ballade No.1 in G minor & bought a copy from musicroom.com today. I didn't realise until after I'd bought it that it was 16 pages long, are there any edited versions or is there only the original? I don't know if I'll be able to play it but I'm going to have a try & see how far I get!

Lisa xxx

Thanks YAP , that recording is splendid

Did YAP played that??
Wow, he's good.

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Ummm I don't know.. the website is in the name of Stephen Hopwood...