User:Springeragh/Sandbox/Music/Chopin

=Ballade No. 1 in g minor=

Ballade No. 1 in G minor is the first of Polish composer Frédéric Chopin's four ballades for piano solo. It was composed in 1835, and is dedicated to "Monsieur le Baron de Stockhausen". Chopin cited the poet Adam Mickiewicz as an influence for his ballades, although the exact inspiration for each piece is not clear.

The music is built from two main themes, the first being introduced in bar 7 after the short introduction, and the second in bar 69. Both themes return in different guises. The piece is in compound duple time (6/4) except for the short introduction (in 4/4) and the brilliant coda (in 2/2). Sections of the piece are technically demanding, and its complex structure combines ideas from sonata and variation forms.

Trivia
The ballade was famously played in the film The Pianist by Wladyslaw Szpilman (where it was cut to about 4 minutes from the usual 9-11 minutes it takes to play).

Sheet Music
Public Domain Sheet Music at IMSLP