Ballade Sheet Music

In music, a ballade is a single movement piece, usually for solo instrument. The term was first used by Frédéric Chopin to designate four grand solo piano compositions he wrote between 1831 and 1842. These can't be considered as following any traditional form, though there are certain similarities to the sonata. One of the main characteristics of the ballade (as found in Chopin) is the 'mirror reprise', in which the two expositional themes are reversed during the final recapitulation. After Chopin, Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms wrote ballades themselves, influencing other composers in turn.