Ballade No. 4 in B-flat

Ballade No. 4 in B-flat major uses melody as a structuring element. The piece is organized according to a short rondo form in five sections: A-B-A’–C-A’’. The A sections are through-composed, while the B and C sections follow a strict formal structure.

True to its subtitle, “Appel du Printemps” (Call of Spring), a springtime magic unfolds from the very first moment, evoking the sound of birdsong with its distinctive, sustained trill in the upper voice. Not only the opening, but the entire A section is marked by exuberance, vitality—in short, the spirit of spring. The lively theme unfolds with a joyful yet boundary-pushing character, before the second half of the A section is heralded by a reprise of the opening theme. Now somewhat darker, yet still animated, a new idea emerges from the trill motif, building up across all registers before driving forward with roaring, expressive gestures of exclamation. Thus, the highly animated A section concludes with a triple, distinct, rather harsh beat, which can only be softened by the warm melody of the B section. Having just been full of exuberance and outward jubilation, the intimate and passionate side of spring is now illuminated. This second melody is in the key of the upper fifth—F-sharp major. The B section itself is again structured in an a-b-a form. Thus, in the following measures of the b section, different facets of this warm and intimate theme are illuminated. It moves through various moods— con anima — poco con moto — con dolceza — con tenerezza — grazioso. An impressive and sonically dense transition leads back to the A section, now in the form of an Appassionato—passionate, yet no less heartfelt and, as it were, light. The return of the A-section’s melody grounds the excursion of the previous section. In a grand three-against-two movement, another voice unfolds in the right hand over the rhythmically strict bass framework in the left. This is based on the ever-changing accentuation of individual notes within the right hand’s triplet movement. This causes the additional voice to appear as if floating freely. Similar to the conclusion of the first A section, the second also closes with a triple-staccato beat, this time opening the door to a new world.

The C section begins once again with a new melody: a line rising in steady steps in the right hand, paired with the continuous trill on F-sharp already familiar from the A section, interwoven with the triplet movements in the left hand, which nestle organically and support this section both harmonically and structurally. A sense of incredulous wonder spreads, accompanied by a feeling of alienation and a quiet curiosity for more. The opening two bars are now repeated with the melody doubled in octaves and rounded off by a three-bar coda. A state of weightlessness sets in. A brief transition follows, which draws this moment—having fallen out of space and time—back to the theme with a magnetic pull. While the entire movement now resounds in fortissimo, the melody in the middle voice structurally dissolves into the overall movement. The development section is reached, marked by brief, elaborative interjections along the way. The melodically driven beginning of this section relies much more on rhythmic momentum in these interludes and brief transitions, until the activity abruptly ends after a short stretta. As if after a frantic run, one now stands in the eye of the storm, enveloped by perfect stillness. Only the subsequent recapitulation—also structured in nine-bar phrases like the exposition of this section—leads, through the melody’s return in the middle voice, to a slow awakening, quiet and deliberate.

The concluding A'' section also begins softly. Only the distinctive movement in the left hand and the descending element of the melody in the right hand are carried over from the original A section. The result is a section that draws on familiar, lived experiences, yet now appears in a new light. Following the introductory thoughts, this new theme blends most sweetly with the melody from the C section, which, as it were, rounds out the expansive movement as a third voice in the middle register. This is followed by measures that further condense the events, proceeding along a gnarled bass line. After a slight swelling of the dynamics and a sudden, brief pause, the grand concluding idea is introduced. Remaining consistently soft throughout, yet far more fully orchestrated, the theme of this A-section returns solemnly. Emerging from the depths and featuring the familiar trill in the upper voice—now embedded in octaves in the right hand—it evokes a shiver running down the spine. The repetition of this idea once again incorporates the melody from the C section into its center, followed by a final narrative passage—kept consistently in piano—until finally, a ray in D major bursts into the room, radiant and redemptive at the same time. Still held in fortissimo, but now back in B major, the essence of the final section resounds in a march-like manner, then—a quiet afterglow, an expressive surge, arrival.

The piano piece was composed between the fall of 2024 and the spring of 2026.