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Romantic · ballade

Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 47

Frédéric Chopin · Level 9, estimated · With Maestro

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The short answer

A ballade whose first prints crossed borders. Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 47 is a ballade by Frédéric Chopin from the Romantic era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 9, an estimate.

On this page
  • ballade
  • Romantic
  • Key of A-flat major
  • dancing
  • grand
  • voicing

Also known as Chopin Ballad No. 3 (Piano solo).

History

The Society dates the Third Ballade to 1841 and records a dedication to Pauline de Noailles. The publication bibliography lists a French issue in 1841, with German and English issues in 1842. These national print histories preserve more detail than one unqualified publication year.

Sources

What to listen for

  1. Let the opening unfold

    The upper phrase begins before the lower line enters, then grows into fuller chords. Keep the opening connected and let the added voices broaden the sound without obscuring the melody.

  2. Listen beneath the held note

    A high E-flat remains tied while inner chords and a lower line move beneath it. Keep the held note present without reattacking its continuation, and listen to the changing texture underneath.

  3. A quieter register continues the conversation

    A sustained upper note sits above moving inner and bass lines, then the texture gathers into tied chords. Follow the independent lines rather than treating each vertical alignment as one undifferentiated chord.

  4. Release the phrase together

    The melody moves on from the tied chord while lower voices sustain and answer. At the end of the next bar, the written rests give the whole texture a shared point of release.

How to practise it

Hear the melodic line within the changing chord texture.

  1. Follow the top-note line through the pairs.
  2. Preserve the tied E-flat.
  3. Keep moving lower notes supportive.

How hard is it

Level 9, estimated

The concert-oriented proposal concerns a coherent complete ballade with differentiated character, dependable movement and a sustained large-scale arc.

About this piece

Interpretive sketch of Frédéric Chopin, an illustration and not a verified likeness
An illustration, not a portrait
Licence
CC0
Source
musescore.com

More by Frédéric Chopin

  1. Prelude in A major, Op. 28 No. 7Level 5, estimatedWith Maestro
  2. Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2Level 7, estimatedWith Maestro
  3. Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52Level 10, estimatedWith Maestro

With Maestro

Play it, slow it down, hear where you land

Hear the melodic line within the changing chord texture.

Practise it in PlayPiano