Ballade in D minor, Op. 6, no. 4
Listening Guide
Embedded Files
Performed by Jozef de Beenhouwer (at 10:21)
Composer: Clara Wieck Schumann
Composition: Ballade in D minor, Op. 6, no. 4
Date: 1836
Genre: piano character piece
Form: ABA
Nature of Text: This is a ballade, that is, a composition with narrative premises
Performing Forces: piano
What we want you to remember about this composition:
- A lyrical melody over chordal accompaniment making this homophonic texture
- A moderate to slow tempo
- In [quadruple] time
Other things to listen for
- Musical themes that develop and repeat but are always varied
- Musical embellishments in the form of trills and turns
Timing
Timing
Performing Forces, Melody, and Texture
Performing Forces, Melody, and Texture
Form:
Form:
Theme starts three times before taking off; melody ascends and uses ornaments for variations; in D minor.Piano dynamics, slow tempo, duple time.
A
New musical idea repeated a couple of times with variation. Ascending phrases crescendo and descending phrases decrescendo.
First theme returns in D minor and then is varied. Piano with a crescendo to fortissimo and then a return to piano.
B
Return of rhythmic motive from opening. A section and then varied Dynamics move from soft to loud to soft.
Coda
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