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I just ordered the sheet music for Chopin's Ballade in G, op 23. What are your takes on the piece? I think it is very romantic. Anyone here play it? How difficult is it? Does the audience generally enjoy it? Any info you guys can come up with would be greatly appreciated!

It's a great piece

it's a difficult piece

and the audience loves it.

All of the Ballades are wonderful and this is definitely, as stated, a favorite. It's quite difficult as they all are--contrary to those who think they're 'easy'. The 4th is one of the very difficult ones. Dig in and enjoy!!

Not my favourite but I do play it.

Not as hard as it looks (well, it is Chopin)

And its one of the popular ones, but it lacks the lyrical qualities of 3, and the melodrama of 2.

I personally think it is a great piece, but perhaps somewhat overplayed.

It's definitely hard

It's definitely a crowd-pleaser

Do audiences enjoy it? Yes.
What do I think of it? Masterpiece.
Is it hard? Yes.
Have I played it? No.

Can I ask what other repetoire you have played recently?

I am currently playing Chopin's Polonaise in Ab major, Moszkowski's etude in F major op 76 no 6, Moszkowski's Etincelles, Rhapsody in Blue (the 2nd half; I didn't have enough time to learn it all), Mozart's Sonata in C K330, Schumann's Kinderszenen (all), and I JUST began working on Chopin's Revolutionary Etude op 10 no 12. I have some other simple pieces that I play just for enjoyment (mainly Scriabin and Scarlatti).

I play it. I found it hard, but not as hard as Ballade no. 2 - and certainly not as hard as #4.

Start with the hardest parts(the coda..) and get them over with.

Thanks for the advice iamacanadian. I should get the music tomorrow. I looked at it on sheetmusicarchive.net and the ending definitely looked difficult! However, I think it should just end after the first scale up the keyboard. It seems like the piece has a bunch of false endings. Just my opinion...

You should enjoy the Ballade and with the repertoire you've listed above it should be within your reach. I think the Moszkowski is Op. 72 and a wonderful display of finger agility. The Etincelles is spectacular if one can sustain the speed, control and clarity that Josef Hofmann displays in his rendition of it. I heard two other 'artists' play the Etude in F and it had lost all musicality as it was a blur from beginning to end--lousy playing. Horowitz used it and played it with his usual elan. Hofmann is just fabulous in unreal velocity but never loses control or the feeling of musical integrity. The rhythmic drive, if it's there, helps the Ballade move effectively to a very dramatic conclusion. I think you'll enjoy the ending once you get it worked out. Have fun!!

I love Chopin's first ballade. It's a masterpiece. Chopin's ballades were the pieces that really got me into classical music and showed me how great it can be. They're all tough ones though! Especially that coda of the 4th...it's devilish.

i'm so tired of ballades... maybe i have listened to them too much.... i preffer scherzos...

anyway my fav. is number 4.

I wanna play this piece someday! lol, Back when I really sucked at the piano but was just barely "waking up" and actually PRACTICING, (i was palying berceuse at the time), my teacher tells me her friend recommended she give me this ballade to learn, and my teacher says "no...I think we'll wait just a LITTLE bit longer, its a handful". I of course had never heard the peice at the time, but now I know why my teacher said that! anyway, its a great peice, although I prefer the 4th ballade to it, for apparent reasons.

The ballades are wonderful pieces of music. They are the pinnacles of Chopin's achivements and should be treated as such when approaching them. I would learn them in the future when I have understood enough of Chopin by playing his smaller scale pieces first.

How delightfully prudent of you.
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No.2 is my personal favorite.

I don't think Max W has actually performed the piece, I have. It is a fairly hard piece, but it is truly a brilliant piece. Here's a couple of hints if your going to play it.

Watch the movie 'The Pianist', the scene where Adrian Brody plays that piece in front of the German Soldier, almost melts your heart. It really helped me feel what the piece was about emotionally.

THe last 2 pages, where it goes into the Presto, watch out. This part has to be ABSOLUTELY accurate and watch the accents as well, and make sure you can bring out the theme well.

Enjoy the piece, it's truly brilliant.

It's definitely a piece to play if you want to impress people... but I'd personally not play it in front of classical music fans or pianists who will just say "Yet another Ballade 1 player!"; believe me, it's overplayed.

I'd rather play the second or third one, but that's just me.

Also, never compete with it. People, even judges, tend to take this piece very personally, so they already know what they want to hear. Your odds of matching what even one judge wants are low. With three, forget about it.

I've heard rumours he learnt it last year actually, we'll have to wait for a press release eh.

Its just not that great compared to other Chopin.

So do I..

no.4 really hits the spot for me.