Ballade (musical form)
Encyclopedia
A ballade refers to a one-movement musical piece with lyrical and dramatic narrative qualities.
, the ballade typically featured a prominent upper voice, which was texted, and two lower voices which may have been vocalise
d or performed with instruments. Guillaume de Machaut
is the most famous composer
of polyphonic
ballades; the style continued to be popular among composers of the Ars subtilior
, though it fell out of fashion by the middle of the 15th century.
The poetic form is typically A–a–B, in which the B is a shorter, concluding line, or refrain
(sometimes called an envoi
). The two "a" sections use the same melody but with different texts.
), some of which was set to music by composers such as Johann Friedrich Reichardt
, Carl Friedrich Zelter
, and Johan Rudolf Zumsteeg
. In the nineteenth century, Robert Schumann
and Carl Loewe also composed ballades.
to four important, large-scale piano
pieces (opus number
s 23, 38, 47 and 52), the first significant application of the term to instrumental music. A number of other composers subsequently used the title for piano pieces, including Johannes Brahms
(the third of his Klavierstücke opus 118
, and the set of four Ballades opus 10
), Edvard Grieg
(Ballade in the Form of Variations
, opus 24, a set of variations
), Claude Debussy
, Friedrich Baumfelder
(for example his Two Ballades, Op.47, and No.2 from his Op.285), Franz Liszt
(who wrote two) and Gabriel Fauré
(opus 19, later arranged for piano and orchestra). Ballades for instruments other than the piano have also been written. 20th-century examples of the form include the six ballades of Frank Martin
(composed for instruments such as the cello, viola and flute), and Einojuhani Rautavaara
's Ballade for Harp and Strings.
Medieval ballades
The term ballade was used to describe one type of musical setting of French poetry common in the 14th and 15th centuries. One of the formes fixesFormes fixes
A Forme fixé is any one of three fourteenth and fifteenth centuries French poetic forms, the ballade, rondeau and virelai...
, the ballade typically featured a prominent upper voice, which was texted, and two lower voices which may have been vocalise
Vocalise
A vocalise is a vocal exercise without words, which is sung on one or more vowel sounds.-In classical music:Vocalise dates back to the mid-18th century...
d or performed with instruments. Guillaume de Machaut
Guillaume de Machaut
Guillaume de Machaut was a Medieval French poet and composer. He is one of the earliest composers on whom significant biographical information is available....
is the most famous composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of polyphonic
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
ballades; the style continued to be popular among composers of the Ars subtilior
Ars subtilior
Ars subtilior is a musical style characterized by rhythmic and notational complexity, centered around Paris, Avignon in southern France, also in northern Spain at the end of the fourteenth century. The style also is found in the French Cypriot repertory...
, though it fell out of fashion by the middle of the 15th century.
The poetic form is typically A–a–B, in which the B is a shorter, concluding line, or refrain
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
(sometimes called an envoi
Envoi
In poetry, an envoi is a short stanza at the end of a poem used either to address an imagined or actual person or to comment on the preceding body of the poem.-Form:...
). The two "a" sections use the same melody but with different texts.
Romantic ballades
Late 18th century Germans used the term ballade to describe folklike narrative poetry (following Johann Gottfried HerderJohann Gottfried Herder
Johann Gottfried von Herder was a German philosopher, theologian, poet, and literary critic. He is associated with the periods of Enlightenment, Sturm und Drang, and Weimar Classicism.-Biography:...
), some of which was set to music by composers such as Johann Friedrich Reichardt
Johann Friedrich Reichardt
Johann Friedrich Reichardt was a German composer, writer and music critic.-Early life:Reichardt was born in Königsberg, East Prussia, to lutenist and Stadtmusiker Johann Reichardt . Johann Friedrich began his musical training, in violin, keyboard, and lute, as a child...
, Carl Friedrich Zelter
Carl Friedrich Zelter
Carl Friedrich Zelter was a German composer, conductor and teacher of music.Zelter became friendly with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and his works include settings of Goethe's poems...
, and Johan Rudolf Zumsteeg
Johan Rudolf Zumsteeg
Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg was a German composer and conductor....
. In the nineteenth century, Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
and Carl Loewe also composed ballades.
Instrumental ballades
In the 19th century, the title was given by Frédéric ChopinFrédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
to four important, large-scale piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
pieces (opus number
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
s 23, 38, 47 and 52), the first significant application of the term to instrumental music. A number of other composers subsequently used the title for piano pieces, including Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
(the third of his Klavierstücke opus 118
Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118 (Brahms)
The Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118, are some of the most beloved items that the composer Johannes Brahms wrote for the solo instrument. Completed in 1893 and dedicated to Clara Schumann, the collection was the second to last composition to be published during Brahms' lifetime. It was also his...
, and the set of four Ballades opus 10
Ballades, Op. 10 (Brahms)
The Ballades, Op. 10, constituted some of the finest examples of lyrical piano music written by Johannes Brahms during his youth. They were dated 1854 and dedicated to his friend Julius Otto Grimm...
), Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
(Ballade in the Form of Variations
Ballade in the Form of Variations
Ballade in the Form of Variations on a Norwegian Folk Song in G minor, Op. 24, is a large scale work by Edvard Grieg. It is in the form of theme and variations, the theme being the Norwegian folk song Mountain Song. A performance usually lasts over 20 minutes.The theme is first introduced in 3/4...
, opus 24, a set of variations
Variation (music)
In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve harmony, melody, counterpoint, rhythm, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these.-Variation form:...
), Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
, Friedrich Baumfelder
Friedrich Baumfelder
Friedrich August Wilhelm Baumfelder was a German composer of classical music, conductor, and pianist. He started in the Leipzig Conservatory, and went on to become a well-known composer of his time. His many works were mostly solo salon music, but also included symphonies, piano concertos, operas,...
(for example his Two Ballades, Op.47, and No.2 from his Op.285), Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
(who wrote two) and Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...
(opus 19, later arranged for piano and orchestra). Ballades for instruments other than the piano have also been written. 20th-century examples of the form include the six ballades of Frank Martin
Frank Martin (composer)
Frank Martin was a Swiss composer, who lived a large part of his life in the Netherlands.-Childhood and youth:...
(composed for instruments such as the cello, viola and flute), and Einojuhani Rautavaara
Einojuhani Rautavaara
Einojuhani Rautavaara is a Finnish composer of contemporary classical music, and is one of the most notable Finnish composers after Jean Sibelius.-Life:...
's Ballade for Harp and Strings.
See also
- Piano balladPiano balladPiano ballad is a term often used to refer to a piece for solo piano in the 19th century, during the romantic era. It was a term used to refer to a piece written in a "narrative" style, and was often lyrical in nature. This type of work made its premiere with Chopin's first romantic ballad, the...
- List of ballades by Guillaume de Machaut