Ballade No. 3 in D

Ballade No. 3 in D major draws on the power of rhythm as a formative element. Of the three fundamental musical elements—rhythm, harmony, and melody—rhythm is undoubtedly the most primal, the element that sets the pulse, if not the very essence of life itself.

In the beginning was rhythm.
Hans von Bülow

Ballade No. 3 in D was composed in keeping with this motto by Hans von Bülow. It explores the various facets of variations on a rhythmic motif. Augmentation, diminution, and inversion of the same rhythmic motif thus give rise to sections with their own distinct character.

Opening with a grand double-octave run in D, the piece plunges directly into the rhythmic motif that defines its form (T5&6). A shortening of the successive note values—quarter note, dotted eighth note, sixteenth note, eighth note, sixteenth note—thus provides the foundation for the striking and powerful theme of the first movement. Iterating melodically downward, the motif pushes forward energetically. It transitions seamlessly into a more lyrical Andante. But the sweetness is short-lived. A duet of two voices in sixteenth notes surges upward, only to plunge back into the opening motif. A cadence in A reinforces the rhythmic motif in a broad and unmistakable, chordal manner. A final triplet ascending passage brings the first movement to a simple close.

The second movement, in F-sharp minor, unfolds over the motif in the bass—which has been augmented from Part I. Long arcs of sixteenth notes—like strokes drawn across the landscape—unfold the rather somber mood. A broad chord in F-sharp major opens the chorale “Brich an du schönes Morgenlicht” (“Break forth, O beautiful morning light”), attempting to pierce through the night. Only the repetition of the chorale theme and the ornamentation with full chains of sixteenth notes in the left hand seem to dispel the intrusions of the dark night. But the clearing is short-lived. There follows a return to the opening section, whose cadence now achieves the hoped-for resolution with the aid of the Picardian third.

The third movement begins abruptly with an explosive gesture arising from the rhythmic diminution of the opening motif. With precise chordal strokes, the theme of this third movement slowly builds up, culminating in a descending melodic line from A'' to A'. Based on the rhythm of the original motif, the triplet structure of this melody simultaneously evokes hints of a waltz. An interruptus occurs—like a loud cry, one seems to be transported to a different scene for a few moments before the waltz picks up speed again. Triols become broad six-beat phrases spanning the measure, until these eventually shorten to half-measures, thereby blurring the meter of the 2/4 time with the help of long melodic arcs. Once again, two voices interplay, gliding along supported by the half-measure beats. Growing broader, the harmonic progression thickens until a large sixth progression, followed by a brief, breathless surge, brings the section to an abrupt end.

The fourth movement follows seamlessly. As a counterpart to the third movement, it is based on a rhythmic inversion of the original motif and thus leads into the dynamic final movement. The theme of the third movement resounds once more, followed by the already familiar interruptus. This time, however, the interruptus takes center stage. Still somewhat foreign in the third movement, a yearning melodic line now unfolds, complemented by grand flourishes in the left hand. Supported by this structure, the piece cheerfully modulates to E minor. A renewed return to the theme of the third movement, along with a swarm of voices in the left hand, heralds the finale. Rhythmically condensed accents call for the theme of the third movement one last time before it builds to a climax in the form of the opening double-octave run through a wild round dance of motif throws and rhythmic shifts. A brief pause, however, seems only to fuel the tension. A final surge brings the piece to a close with a drum roll.

The piano piece was composed during the winter of 2023 and the spring of 2024.