Chopin: Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) wrote almost exclusively for the piano and is best known for short character pieces such as noctures, études, and mazurkas. It is somewhat remarkable that this idiosyncratic output earned Chopin a solid position among the major composers of the 19th Century when symphonies and operas were the key to success. But Polish-born Chopin was a perfect fit for the Paris salons. The French Revolution had taken away the traditional sources of patronage, and private homes of the well-to-do became popular venues for music on a more intimate scale.

The four Ballades are among the more complex of Chopin’s character pieces. There is no specific definition for Ballade in this context. They are not tied to any particular story or narrative, as you might expect from the name. They do have a certain rhetorical character, however. They are all episodic with highly contrasting sections, and they have a relatively simple and contemplative melody that returns in increasingly virtuosic forms.

Chopin puts you squarely in the Romantic Era with highly expressive and varied material, rich harmonies and virtuosic showmanship—all compressed into a short time frame and suitable for being performed in your living room.