Classical Music | Piano Music

Frédéric Chopin

Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23  Play

David-Michael Dunbar Piano

Recorded on 02/18/2012, uploaded on 03/31/2012

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Chopin Ballade in G minor Opus 23

Written between 1831 and 1835 after Chopin's arrival in Paris, and published the following year, this work reveals Chopin's superb understanding of the instrument. The melodies are inseparable from the piano, and the textures of sound and the combinations of colour which he created were of a kind hitherto unheard of.

The two main themes in G minor and E flat major are more of a compliment than a contrast to each other. The legendary atmosphere is created right from the quiet start; onward to the most impassioned climax.