Chopin and Brahms:
- Ballades for piano
From this CD, we get to experience the best of the Romantic Ballade: the musical equivalent of the short story or brief novel.
We get to listen to the following:
Brahms:
- Ballades (4), Op. 10
Chopin:
- Ballades Nos. 1-4
Performed by Cédric Tiberghien (piano)
Published over a period of ten years under independent opus numbers, Chopin’s four Ballades form a coherent entity, like his four Scherzos. These pieces were composed in a single burst of creativity and assembled under a single unifying opus number,
Johannes Brahms’ four Ballades of Op.10 make up what might be described as a ‘ballade sonata’ because of their great depth and complex musical structure.
I like the sensitive, thoughtful playing of Cedric Tiberghien. These selections have been performed by the world’s leading pianists, and it is always a challenge to explore how a performer might bring new insight to these famous compositions. Just listen for yourselves:
Here is Cedric Tiberghien in Frederic Chopin’s Ballade Op. 23 In G Minor:
And next, here is Cedric Tiberghien in Johannes Brahms’ Ballade, Op. 10, No. 1
Finally here is a brief artist’s portrait of Cedric Tiberghien:
Tags: Cedric Tiberghien, Chopin, Brahms, Ballades