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Aballade (/bəˈlɑːd/;French:[balad]; andLatin:ballare ,pronounced[bälˈlʲäːrɛ]) refers to a one-movement instrumental piece with lyrical and dramatic narrative qualities reminiscent of such a song setting, especially a piano ballade. In 19th centuryromantic music, apiano ballade is agenre of solopiano pieces[1][2] written in aballetic narrative style, often with lyrical elements interspersed. Emerging in theRomantic era, it became a medium for composers to explore dramatic and expressive storytelling through complex, lyrical themes and virtuosic techniques.[3]
The musical ballade originates in the literary tradition of medieval and early Renaissance poetry.[4] In poetry, theballade featured a highly structured form, typically composed of three main stanzas with a repeated refrain. This structure allowed poets to weave tales of romance, heroism, and folklore, withGuillaume de Machaut being a key figure in popularizing this poetic style.[5] Additionally, theballade existed as a courtly dance, marked by its elegance and association with nobility, reinforcing its connection to grand and noble themes.
As the literaryballade evolved, its narrative and lyrical qualities inspired composers to translate these elements into instrumental music. By the Romantic era, composers likeChopin began adapting the narrative essence of the ballade, creating expressive piano works that conveyed dramatic arcs and emotional depth without adhering to a strict poetic structure.[6] These musical ballades embraced the storytelling spirit of their literary predecessors, allowing composers to explore narrative through melody and thematic development.[7]
The 19th-century instrumental ballade emerged as a distinctive musical form that broke away from the traditionalsonata androndo structures. Rather than following traditional patterns of recapitulation, the ballade adopts a flexible and episodic approach. Composers such as Chopin frequently centered their ballades around a primary theme, which is revisited and transformed throughout the piece. This structural fluidity is fundamental to the ballade’s nature, emphasizing its origins in storytelling.[4]
One defining characteristic of the ballade is its use of harmonic and tonal shifts to enhance its dramatic and expressive quality. Composers often employed unexpected key changes and harmonic ambiguities to create contrast and tension. For example, Chopin'sBallade No. 1 in G minor incorporates key changes that build a sense of drama and maintain the momentum of the musical narrative.[8]
Additionally, rhythm and melody play an essential role in shaping the ballade’s narrative elements. Recurring rhythmic motifs and melodic phrases are often varied in intensity, tempo, and character, contributing to a sense of movement and emotional evolution within the piece. This use of recurring musical elements mirrors literary storytelling techniques, allowing composers to create a dynamic and expressive form.[8]
The ballade of this time varied. In Chopin, for example, the common element throughout his ballads was themetre, commonly6
8 time.Brahms's ballades often relied on a three-part song form.[9]
Ballades sometimes alluded to their literary predecessors. Some had obvious or supposed literary associations. For example, the fourballads of Chopin were supposedly inspired byBallads and Romances (Ballady i romanse), poetry ofAdam Mickiewicz. However, no such evidence directly from the composer exists. There was, in fact, no concrete association to literature until Brahms debuted hisfour ballads (Op. 10), which bear the title "After the Scottish ballad 'Edward'".[9] However, that claim does not acknowledge the fact that in 1841, thirteen years earlier than Brahms, Robert Schumann acknowledged in theNeue Zeitschrift für Musik that Chopin told him that he was inspired by poems of Mickiewicz.[10]
In late 18th centuryGerman literature, the termballade was used to describe folklike narrative poetry (followingJohann Gottfried Herder), some of which was set to music by composers such asJohann Friedrich Reichardt,Carl Friedrich Zelter, andJohann Rudolf Zumsteeg.
In the 19th century, the title was given byFrédéric Chopin to four important, large-scalepiano pieces, theBallades Nos. 1 to 4,Opp.23,38,47,52,[7] the first significant application of the term to instrumental music. A number of other composers subsequently used the title for piano pieces, includingJohannes Brahms (the third of hisKlavierstücke, Op. 118, and the set of fourBallades, Op. 10),Edvard Grieg (Ballade in the Form of Variations, Op. 24, a set ofvariations),Claude Debussy,Friedrich Baumfelder (for example his Two Ballades, Op. 47, and No. 2 from his Op. 285),Franz Liszt (who wrotetwo) andGabriel Fauré (Op. 19, later arranged for piano and orchestra).
Ballades for instruments other than the piano have also been written. 20th-century examples of the form include the three ballades ofManolis Kalomiris, the sixballades ofFrank Martin (composed for instruments such as thecello,viola,flute, andsaxophone), andEinojuhani Rautavaara's Ballade for Harp and Strings.Henry Cowell wrote a ballad for string orchestra.
There are also ballads for orchestra byGrace Williams,Gottfried von Einem,Alexander Glazunov, andKurt Atterberg, and for solo instruments and orchestra; piano:Ture Rangström,Germaine Tailleferre,Darius Milhaud,Ludomir Różycki, andNorman Dello Joio; cello:Heino Eller,Reinhold Glière, andFrederic d'Erlanger;Julius Röntgen (violin),Benjamin Britten (two pianos),Hermann Haller (horn), andHendrik Andriessen (oboe); as well as ballads for various other combinations of instruments and voices byGyörgy Ligeti,Eric Ewazen,Spike Milligan andLarry Stephens,Sergei Prokofiev,Ottorino Respighi, andKurt Weill.
The ballade has also been used in works featuring multiple instruments. For example,Robert Schumann, a romantic composer and husband ofClara Schumann, wrote a set of two songs,Balladen, Op. 122 (1852–53)[11] which were written for piano and voice.Claude Debussy, a later composer, also wrote for piano and voice with hisTrois ballades de François Villon (L. 119, 1910).[12]
Works for piano and orchestra also bearing the title "ballade" have been published. These includeFauré'sBallade, Op. 19, which was written in 1881 together with its version for solo piano,[13]Charles Koechlin'sBallade for piano and orchestra, Op. 50, conceived between 1911 and 1919,[14] andGermaine Tailleferre'sBallade,[15] composed in 1920.
