York Bowen plays Chopin Ballade

Ballade in Aflat recorded in 1925. Although the term ballade was associated with the French poetry in the 1400s, it was until the 19th century that it was no longer merely used by only poets to tell story. Chopin composed his four ballades during his mature stage after he left his homeland Poland. It is said that Chopin wrote music for the Lithuanian Ballads of the Polish Adam Mickiewicz. Even Schumann mistakenly commented that Chopin s ballades were as programmatic as his own works. This is misleading since Chopin was never interested in music with titles, programs, or characters in the true sense like Schumann. The narrative sequence in Chopin s ballades does not follow any specific format; it is embedded in many unpredictable and creative phrases throughout the music. Chopin even did not consider Schumann s Carnival Op. 9 music at all. Chopin s ballades are pure music in their finest forms without any suggestive narration. Though Chopi