I have a question about Chopin's Ballades. The person that would normally have answered this sort of question (Mad Tom) has de-registered but I hope that some other piano expert might have the answer.

I had always believed that unlike composers such as Liszt (Petrarch sonnets), Chopin was not inspired by works of literature, and that this was one reason that he never properly appreciated Schuman's work. But I have just been reading the Wikipedia entry for Chopin's Ballades, and there is a theory that they were inspired by some famous Polish poems.

I have also been told that the 1st Ballade expresses Chopin's feelings at the premature death of a close friend.

Does anyone know the truth of the matter?

Checking in my old college textbooks, I can find only vague and unsubstantiated claims that Chopin's main poetic inspiration was the Polish/Lithuanian poet Adam Mickiewicz. The second Ballade is thought to have been inspired by Le Lac de Willis, and the third Ballade by Undine. No mention of the thoughts behind the first.

A bit of Googling fished up the supposition that no. 1 was inspired by Konrad Wollenrod and no. 4 by The Three Brothers Budrys - but again there is no real evidence.

Not very helpful, I'm afraid - sorry

Quote from "The World of Music"


In his review of the (2nd) ballade Schumann wrote:
"Chopin said that he had been inspired by some poem of Mickiewic to write the ballade. But music like this is more likely to inspire a poet to write words to it. It moves one to the depths of one's soul."

I always think the first Ballade has some Spanish influence, but think it was composed before Chopin eloped to Valldemosa with Georges Sand. (I remember visting Valldemosa when I was 14, and did actually know the first Ballade at that age , though I could only play about the first half of it- still cant play the second half )

You'll find lots of useful article links and analysis on the following Piano Sage blog entry:

Chopin Ballade No.1 in G Minor Tips, Resources, Tutorials, and Masterclasses (how to play) Opus 23
http://pianosage.blogspot.com/2011/08/chop...minor-tips.html

Thank you. Very informative. Very interesting. Very helpful.