F. Chopin - Ballade no. 4 in F minor op. 52 - Analysis. Greg Niemczuk's lecture. 

Ballade No 4 is Chopin's greatest work, in my opinion. It takes me on a ride every time I listen. A dreamy and stormy masterpiece. 💜

Chopin touches my heart in a way no other conposer can. He perfected every color of beauty and pain that the piano can express

Even when Chopin bangs at the keyboard in frustration... it still sounds beautiful.

Brilliant lecture and outstanding interpretation! I cannot thank you enough for this; now I know what mindset to have going into the piece, and I truly understand the pain Chopin was in when composing this. An immense thank you Mr. Niemczuk from the depths of my heart!

This is one of the pieces I heard from Chopin that strikes me so deeply, I had depression when I was teenager and now the sweet sorrow of this melody always made me feel so melancholy, it’s so tinkling and elegant that I cant use enough vocabulary to describe… now I have the honor to learn this piece and practice, no matter how many times I repeat the ending it always feels so energetic and refreshing. It is indeed my favorite piece of Chopin even piano compositions in general. And your lecture definitely helped me understand this piece better and when I uncovered the musicality beneath the techniques, the techniques just came so naturally. I’m amazed

I almost can’t think of anyone with a more wonderful understanding of music than you, sir. The way you describe music and use little metaphors and gestures to explain certain feelings is beyond wonderful. Thank you so much for your personal analysis.

Thank you. Wonderful and deep analysis of my favourite Chopin master piece, the ballad #4 in F minor. Many people have analyzed this piece, but I'm so impressed with yours that I repeated watching it several times. Two thumbs way up!

Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!! I am a 74 years old Japanese living in the US who is completely out-of-music world and was just "hearing" classical music including Chopin in the past. I started "listening" Chopin just about 2 months ago. After about 50 more times of your each Chopin video, I might understand a part of his music. I have already been enjoying and appreciating his music more now. I will watch all of your videos although I don't know how long it may take. You made rest of my life richer. Again, Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!! from Michigan.

Hi Greg! What an emotional analyze. You speak to me from the soul. I never had the idea to play this piece. I have played the third one and later the first Ballade. But last week, while I was practicing Polonaise op 53, Ballade Nr 4 came into my mind. Yesterday I was practicing the first pages , theme one. My neighbor aksed me, what I was playing. I told her and she said, she was crying whole time. What a pice. Thanks again for this fantastic video. My appreciation and respect for you. 🌟🎹🌟

Every so often, I come back to watch this video! The song is so beautiful, and the way you explain everything is so filled with emotions! I can see your passion for this song, and it makes me want to learn the song

Greg I listen to this video late at night with my eyes closed. I wish nothing more. Thank you for these great videos with so much passion.

Love this analysis. Definitely my favorite piece ever and your explanation does it justice.

Thank you for a fantastic lecture. I discover so many new things about this piece from listening to your analysis. I can feel your passion for this work from your energy in this video

Watching this video has inspired me to start learning at least the first few sections of this magnificent ballad. Mid and final sections are way out of my league, but that's ok. Will leave them for my next life. Finding the main theme very satisfying to play, and surprisingly easy to learn.

Greg's video should be viewed by every serious pianist, as well as anyone who really wants to understand the heart and soul of Chopin. This video lecture and demonstration is an absolute treasure. Thank you, Greg!

i have never seen such a smart guy talking about music. your channel is one of the best things that i have found this year. pleasures from Brasil!! i hope to see more perfect content from your channel!

Hi, Greg! First of all, thank you for this great video! My 93 years old teacher recorded this Ballade some years ago. She is an incredible pianist and i find her Chopin interpretations very poetic. Recently, in your analysis, i sent you her Impromptu No. 1 interpretation, maybe you will remember. I would like to recommend her Ballade No. 4. For example, in that bridge you said pianists tend to play way too fast, she respects the "in tempo". I find specially beautiful the way she plays the climax and then the coda, so i will link the climax here for you! Greetings from Brazil!

this is an intimidating piece to approach for the first time. my professor has insisted that i give it a try for my next recital, and there are moments so complex it almost makes my eyes cross. this video was very helpful in untangling the complexities that chopin so masterfully wrote. many thanks

This is fantastic. Both the playing and the whole journey through the video!

Fantastic lecture and beautiful playing. Very inspiring, thank you!

Really an outstanding master clas!! Many Thanks Greg.

You're doing us a great service sir! Keep up the great work. Chopin always tricks you into thinking that one composition stands above all others, until you listen to another great work of his and then change your mind again!

Pure beauty. Very heartfelt comments, Great job. congratulations

Thank you so much for your wonderfully astute, and soulful, analysis of this stunningly beautiful piece. The older I get, the less able I am to get through it without crying. Just devastatingly beautiful composing. Your analysis has opened to me some of the ways the music’s structure works its magic on me. Thank you again!

This is what I’ve been looking for. A pianist’s analysis of Ballade 4. Your passion for this piece is so great. Working on this now and look forward to watching this entire video for your perspective.

Just found out your channel and I'm amazed. A sincere musician putting in his everything, trying to express everything he feels, struggling with English and still being so effective. Its a beautiful feeling to see people like you.

Спасибо Вам большое! Изумительная лекция!

I love this ballad very very much, especially interpreted by Alexei Sultanov. thank you for your lecture.

I was so attached to it when I heard it at a piano salon in Warsaw..imagine that impact. I've learnt most of its hardest part technique-wise..but now back to etudes because I am way far from being able to produce the tone I envision...

I really appreciate your devotion to Chopin and the way you explain your own interpretation of the musicality of his pieces, as well as your opinion on other's performances and what not. This is such a beautiful piece, and this video is my second full lecture of yours that I've watched, first one being Ballade No. 1, which I'm learning right now, and was so helpful. I hope one day I'll be able to play Ballade No. 1 and Ballade No. 4. Kind of my life goals, and your videos have given me plenty of inspiration and motivation to keep going. Your lectures are great, thank you so much!

Outstanding analysis, very unique. Many thanks 🙏.

24:38 "yes, absolutely incredible moment" that sums it up very precisely

Thank you so much Greg, I've played this analysis video for a few times in this week to understand the ballade better! When I first heard this piece a few years ago, I immediately felt in love with it although I don't understand much about the motifs and structures of this piece, but the emotion and energy in this ballade is incredibly deep and immense, it is definitely one of Chopin's greatest compositions, or not the best in my humble opinion! Thanks for your effort!

What an excellent video. You completely captured my attention. It's always very nice to listen to someone so passionate about what they are talking about. I think I could listen to your analyses for days! I will definitely watch/listen to all the other ones!

Thank you very much for this excellent, captivating analysis : I'm presently learnig this extraordinary masterwork and fully agree with you. Chopin's indications are very precise, most pianists don't respect them, and do prefer exhibition of their virtuosity. I hope most Chopin's lovers will watch this video and take profit of it !

I am amazed by how a good communicator you are (as well as good pianist). I loved the way you clearly express each of the sections, it feels like you are the talking voice of Chopin music. Thanks a lot for this moment!

One more thank you. After spending the day going back and forth to your videos and seeing and hearing how you break things down and sometimes play very slowly I have decided to try to play this piece again using midi, very slowly but with the reverence and love for doing things at the pace I need, You have changed my attitude towards expression using midi slowly to interpret from frustrating due to my disabilities to enjoy every note and nuance possible, You are a great great teacher . You are a great humanitarian for doing what you are doing, sharing your gifts far and wide, Thank you. May you always have success and happiness,

Thank you for this analysis. I used to perform this piece in public and could create a lot of nuance but now that my disabilities have made it impossible to practice much I rely on midi with help which can be successful .Am redoing a mazurka after watching your videos.It felt so frustrating not to be able to play the Ballade so I put it into midi and cannot stand a lot of the result to be honest. Your amazing lesson here will be our guide. It will have to be a totally mental approach as the tracks are in, note by note, but your video is so helpful I will not give up . I had to put each section in playing slowly. I understand now what is wrong with the midi performance. Note by note mentally thank you thank you. I will watch this video over and over again. It is wonderful. The music history you provide is a gift to humanity. Thank you for all you do. Of course on acoustic piano there is a lot of spontaneous nuance in a public performance.

Your explanations are so full of love and deep insight. Thank you very much! ❤

💐Admiro tu forma de acercarnos de la forma mas bella a la música "clásica" a la preciosa música de Chopin! Tu análisis es pura pasión , tu interpretación es delicada conexión con el compositor!!💐😍😘

I've learnt this piece in my late teens, and after watching your video, you made me realize I didn't really understand this piece! Now I am motivated to learn it all over again, more slowly and applying your insight. Thank you for your videos, the analysis helps a lot and keeps me playing !

sir i think you spoke with chopin on your way to earth thank you

Thank you so much for this wonderful analysis!!!

Thank you for your lecture. I am learning this Ballade at the moment, and your analysis is very inspiring. It will help me better understand this masterpiece.

Cette ballade est magnifique. Au début, tu parles de l introduction de cette pièce, qui serait l une des plus belle introduction, si pas, la plus belle jamais écrite par Chopin. Et tu as raison, elle est splendide Je voulais simplement partager avec toi que, selon mon ressenti, la plus belle introduction de Chopin est celle du Krakowiak op 14. Comme dans cette ballade, Chopin introduit une douceur infinie, une chaleur tellement agréable, juste parfaite... Et puis, un contraste saisissant avec la rage dans le Krakowiak, et puis cette tristesse dans cette ballade. Bonne journée!!

Thank you so much for this wonderful analysis and precious advices ! It’s the first time I hear this ballad played at this speed indeed ^^ Greetings from France 🎹

I'm just impressed with ur humbleness to teach each n every possible thing necessary in chopin music ❤

Najserdeczniej dziękuję za te wspaniaļe, bardzo poglębione analizy! Takie podejscie do tekstu tych tak bardzo zlożonych intelektualnie jak też pokazujących calą paletę ludzkich emocji i uczuç, utworow, powoduje, że po wysluchaniu szczegolnie tej ballady, jestem wyczerpany emocjonalnie! Dzieki Panu, panie Grzegorzu, moge byc pewny i spokojny, ze moj odbior muzyki Chopina jest zgodny z intencjami kompozytora! Podązam we wlasciwym kierunku do poznania istoty tej jakze bogatej duchowo muzyki! Cieszę się, że mam jeszcze tyle Pana filmöw przed sobą! Pozdrawiam z Estonii, gdzie muzyka Frycka ma należne jej miejsce!😊

L'introduction de cette ballade mérite à elle seule un son complet. Ce son serait déjà l'un des top 10 de l'histoire

Of course everything is great as always ... having been the waltz op. 69 no. 2 the first piece by Chopin I was confronted with at the age of 8 perhaps (I don't remember exactly) I immediately recognized that segment of the same melody in both pieces, at the third bar of the waltz and at bar 15/16 of this 4th ballad: seven notes (considering only once the G flat repeated four times in the ballad): fa, sol, fa, do, mi, re, si; in the ballad, due to the different tonality, it is half a tone lower, but the intervals are the same. I have not checked whether this melody returns rigorously unchanged every time it occurs both in the waltz and in the ballad, but in both cases it is distinctly recognizable ... Thank you for these wonderful videos which always provide opportunities for new discoveries. 🎼 🌿 🌻

I love that melody when u play in minute 23.00-23.30

thank you very much sir, you are giving the voice and form for what we hear and feel. I'm whatching 1 your video at a week, need time to assorb all that beauty! hope to see the analisys for Nocturne op.48 n.1, your channer is unique! deserves more views!

59:30 nice interpretation. It also bangs my heart too 😭

Thank you a lot for all your explications of chopin pieces ! I discovered you recently & I enjoy many of your videos. I like that you try to give a lot of context & anecdotes on each piece instead of going into technical details & with a little humor :D. Being able to more explain the music for non-musicians as you do is really nice ! About this piece I'm really frustrated that the begining stops as I find the melody really awesome but that's always what chopin does. Sometimes he gives us heaven-like melody & change the mood right away haha. Greetings from france

😊thank you so much for your teaching! This is my favorite piece. It’s so beautiful!! But this piece is too difficult for normal piano teacher,so I had no teacher in my town.Your teaching is very important for me.

greatest piece of chopins and the greatest contrapuntal achievement in musical history

Thank you so much for this lecture! :) Your playing is so sensitively beautiful.

The recapitulation of the second section in the climax before the coda is one of the most chills giving passages in the history of music, sich pensive, masterful writing! Chopin was a genius!

Thank you for making this video. . . I'm learning it currently and really struggling with the section of polyrhythms and was great to see/hear you trying different speeds. I like the slower tempo too.

excellent! thank you so much for breaking this down. it's hard not to weep at the depth of the emotion in this piece.

thank you so so much for sharing your spirit and talent with the internet, and all for free! watched every minute of it, thanks you so very much. I agree that this piece feels viceral and personal in a certain way that a lot of piano works don't really tap into, and for that reason I'm doing my best to learn this monster of a piece.

I cant say how much i adore this piece especially the begining and its repeated in the middle alsoo

The slowest I found this ballade played is by Vadim Chaimovich -- almost 13 minutes. The fastest I think is by Khatia Buniatishvili -- a little over 10 minutes. Both are good, with different nuances. Thanks for your lectures, Greg!

Thank you for sharing your love with this masterpiece. Interesting remarks on speed.

This is a brilliant lecture. Anyone who plays Chopin should watch.

58:04 one of the best moments in Chopin's music, and I like the way you play it unlike most pianists with too much passion and exaggeration, and 58:53 too

I feel sure that Chopin could never have reached the pinnacle of creative genius, without his illness, that this piece so epitomises -without pathologising; the genie has only been able to be let-out-of the bottle, via this route!

I really hope You will record this ballade

couldn't stop smiling

I am learning this piece rn, this is very helpfull, i have new insight of this ballade, and this piece is veryy beautiful, tysm for the lecture

This piece reveals a universe of musical expression in just over ten minutes. For me, the most beautiful piece in the piano repertoire. After closing your eyes, this Ballad will take you on a journey to a paradise with birds, sparkling water, the scent of the flowers and your thoughts on your loved one. This is how I experience this Ballad. Chopin, how blessed we are that you have lived on this earth..! Bilal Atabey Ps; Dear Greg, thanks so much again for this wonderful analysis..!

Appreciations from Hong Kong!! Fantastic video, thank you so much!

Thank you for the amazing lecture. I am currently working on this and i am quite struggling but this lecture helps me to get a big picture of this piece and opens my mind that playing classical needs more score study to know all of the details which the composer wants. Thank you very much.

I read in the music something more dynamic in the arc of each pass through the theme. Pain, loss, sorrow, yes, but then a beautiful, burgeoning love arises immediately on the way to the inner cadence. The sequencing to Ab shows the same pain from which beauty arises. Loss (minor), agony (diminished), yet the beauty amidst will eternally survive. Death comes and passes, beauty never fully diminishes. It's the same I get from the opening with the dual lines simultaneously following decrescendo/crescendo. The interplay of loss and joy from any given moment to another.

Hello Greg, today i finished to watch the whole video, and I just want it to continue so its good that this is something i can hear again and again, and that you have more videoes like this 💖💖💖 i listened while working (cleaning trains-alone) and while walking my dog, and it must be the best thing i have ever listened to- because first of all i dont focus on what i have to do, i just fly through the job and have a good time while working good without realizing i am doing what I usually feel is heavy work. And because when I usually want to just finish quick and get done with the work or the walk with my dog, i slow down and take extra roads to walk more and more until my dog needs to be carryed😂 and the clock says i have been using my pause to clean slow so I can be in this wonderful state of mind for as long as possible 😂 i really wanted to be able to walk the dog more because winter makes her fat... so now i know how 😄😄 i can inspire her to walk more, with good energy flow💖 if you remember i talked to you, last person in Kongsberg last time you were here. I have send email to this app i am using, to get them to add this song . They only have ballade nr.1. So you are my piano teacher now, and hopefully one day i will be able to play for you too, and i look forward to hearing what you think about what I play, since i have my own way of playing, i dont know why but I like to play the way i think sound good or maybe bacause something Else is difficult, or both. I referred to you saing this is the best piece ever, to the piano app. In your and mine opinion. And i Said if they watch this video they will be convinced that they should have this song on their app. And ofchorse, i shared this video to everyone i know that have passion for piano music after just watching the first part, you-and this song-and your talking about this song is absolutely amazing, thank you so much for sharing and giving your knowledge 💖 thank you thank you thank you from me and me dog 😄😄🥰😍🎼🎼🎶🎶🎵🎵🐕

They clapped there, and I really didn't deserve it! Someone with some knowledge said I should have just stopped there. I'm almost 70 now and may not play again in a such a situation; but being forewarned, believe I could bring it off now without having anyone clap at the wrong time. You're not the only accomplished pianist (definitely not my category) I know of who had someone clap there. (two actually - so I don't feel so bad. ((but really it was disastrous all the way through))

Thank you!!

Such talent!!! I can also listen to the beginning all day and night.csuch a great opening for a great piece of music.

Thanks a lot for your interesting analysis and comments on this masterpiece. I've been playing this piece for a long time and it's definitely one of my all-time Chopin favorites. I'm wondering, considering your comments on most pianists often playing passages too fast: what is your personal favorite performer of this ballade? I've always like Bolet's version quite lot (and the slowest I could find, over 12 minutes). Friedman being the fastest (close to 10 minutes).

I became interested recently in Ballad No 4 after listening a number of times to the version played by the mysterious youtuber known as Rousseau. (Does anyone know his real name). While it is not my favorite ballad by Chopin, I really love the main theme of No 4 with it's haunting pain and melancholy and unforgettable melody and rhythm. The way it repeats many times reminds me a bit of Op 55 no 1 nocturne. Also they have notes that are repeated. As a complete piano piece it is out of my league to play, but I think I could perhaps learn to play the opening themes. And so I came to Greg looking for analysis, which is fantastic as always. Very enlightening! so thank you Greg.

Brilliant!!

amazing, really love this ❤

CHOPIN we love you ❤️

Thank you!

Thanks so much for this video

Thank you so much for this dedicated Work. Ballads are my favourite serie from chopin and although it's really hard to pick, the 4th is probably my favourite. Hearing your analysis widen my understanding and appreciation of it even more. Do you love the barcarolle of chopin ? I would love to hear your comments about it, this is another work from chopin that stands at the same level for me.

Absolutely fantasic and useful. I hope you make a video with Rach's second sonata soon.

Awesome lecture. Loved it!

Hello mr greg can you please explain what happened in the harmony ? And what make them so Incredible ? 21:51 thank you ❤

Right now I am playing through this ballade in f minor. After a long time, I finally like and understand it. And now I wonder what this chord in bar 194 is. It's at the end of the wavelike motion that reminds of Chopin's last etude. I identified it as French sixth chord on Db (or is it something else?). The augmented sixth resolves into the octave as it should, but then the note f doesn't move down to e but instead 'the g moves up to Ab, so we are now in f flat minor instead of C major and, besides, in an unstable f minor second inversion chord. Or is it part of the story, since after that it goes through a series of wild cadences in a sort of quest to find its C major, but only finally in bar 202 it finds the resolution. It could have a meaning. Oh, and before I forget it: I think that there is no extra tempo marking for the coda because there already was a stretto shortly before and there is not ritardando since then. So the coda *is* indeed beginning a little faster than the standard tempo of the piece and this fact is already written out in Chopin's score.

Where can I listen to your complete performance of this ballade? (Awesome video, cheers from Italy)

Parfaitement d'accord avec vous sur le tempo du 2ème pont! De plus, ce passage n'est pas du tout écrit pour la virtuosité, , mais pour marquer des vagues successives, et le seul fait de monter dans le clavier suffit à en accentuer le caractère.

Hello what a surprice so early film!greetingsE

Do you have full performance of this song ? I really like chopin song especially ballade in f minor. The song make me have a beautiful feeling 😌

He can play!

This ballade's introduction is really the most beautyful off all piano pieces ever.

Imagine if Chopin lived another 39 years. Imagine…

Thanks for a fantastic lecture! When you were discussing how Chopin cried when he saw that his Polonaise was being played too fast ... may you point to me where you found that information from? I'd really love to learn more about this.

your accent is lovely

Dear Greg. Where and how can we find or buy original chopin edition scores? not just for the ballads but all other pieces. waltzes, nocturnes etc. If they are available online, what do we search?