What are Frédéric Chopin's ballades?
Q: What are Frédéric Chopin's ballades?
A: Frédéric Chopin's ballades are four one-movement pieces for solo piano composed between 1835 and 1842.
Q: Who is said to have inspired the ballades?
A: The four ballades are said to have been inspired by Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz.
Q: How did Chopin invent the musical form of the ballade?
A: Ballades were composed before Chopin, in literature and Italian Renaissance music, but he invented the ballade as an abstract musical form.
Q: What other composers wrote ballades after Chopin?
A: After Chopin, other composers such as Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms also wrote ballades.
Q: How long are each of the four individual pieces?
A: All four of Chopin's individual pieces range from 8 to 12 minutes in length.
Q: What time signature do they follow?
A: The four pieces all follow either triple time (three beats to a bar), or 6/4 or 6/8 time signatures.
Q: Are they often heard in concerts around the world? A: Yes, Chopin's four ballades are very popular pieces and are often heard in concerts around the world.
