Chopin Ballade No.1 in G Minor, Op.23

Chopin Ballade for Piano No.1, is sometimes credited as one of Chopin’s greatest compositions. Before Chopin, no one has ever created a piece of music called Ballade, a genre that is usually associated with poems. Being a new music genre created by Chopin, it doesn’t need to comply with the rules which gave Chopin more rooms for artistic creation. According to some literary sources, this particular ballade was inspired by Adam Mickiewicz, who was a Polish poet living in Paris, a city where Chopin also reside at the time. 

I first heard the Ballade No.1 from the WWII movie “Pianist”, where the main character played the ballade for a German Military Officer. The setting was believed to be an abandoned hospital, it was very cold and the pianist was on the verge of desperation. He was in great hunger and cold. However, when he played the ballade, I could sense his spirit and his belief. Despite his desperate situation, he still has his music, he still pocesses hope. Overall, I was very touched by the music and the mood it created for the movie. At the time of the creation of this piece, Poland was quite politically unstable. Chopin and many other polish artists became exiles in Paris. Chopin, often recognized as a great patriot also narrated a story that reflects the great Polish history in this piece.

As a story teller, the Ballade’s opening was full of darkness, uncertainty and hesitation. In the next a few minutes, the tempo of the Ballade gradually increased. As the piece progresses, one of Chopin’s most romantic melody emerged and it was then we hear the climax of the piece, with incredible amount of strength, passion and heroism.

Here is a performance by the great Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman, who won the 1975 International Chopin Piano Competition. As a polish, he is probably the most suitable person to make this Ballade alive, rather than just conquering the technical difficulties.

Zimerman Plays Chopin Ballade No.1

Beethoven Piano Sonata No.14 in C-Sharp Minor “Moonlight”

Today, we are talking about the Beethoven Piano Sonata No.14 in C-Sharp Minor, commonly known as the “Moonlight” sonata. The nickname “moonlight” actually came from a poet named Ludwig Rellstab, not Beethoven. It’s probably the most well-known sonata from Beethoven, as the first movement of “moonlight” appeared on almost every easy listening compilation in the past 50 years. From a personal experience, I heard the first movement countless times since I was a child and thought that was all to it. However, it was not until many years later until I listened to the 2nd and especially the 3rd movement. I am completely captivated by the wildness of the last movement. I wish I can play it, so that when I’m feeling down, I can dump my unhappiness all away with the arpeggio. In fact, the arpeggio at the beginning of the 3rd movement is so unexpected that it ponders my heart like thunders.

The recording I’ve heard the most is Wilhelm Kempff’s 1965 DG recording. It’s probably not his best performance, some argued that his 1950s mono recordings were better, but the 65 version is definitely better engineered. Alfred Brendel, Arthur Rubinstein also had great interpretations of this piece.

Luckily, there a Wilhelm Kempff Live performance of the moonlight sonata on youtube.

Kempff plays Moonlight Sonata Movement 1: