Chopin Ballade

Question 1

A - Bars 1 - 6

Answer 1

Repeated note motif (b1)
E/F dissonance (b4)
Perfect in F major (b5)
Bb/C dissonance (b6)

Question 2

A - Bars 18, 20 & 40

Answer 2

Acciaccatura

Arpeggiated

Question 3

A - Bar 37

Answer 3

Dim 7th chords

Question 4

A - Bars 40 - 44

Answer 4

Falling Major 3rds in dotted crotchets

Question 5

A - Bar 45

Answer 5

Slow arpeggios and repreated A notes, serves as a link into the B section

Question 6

B - Changes - Bar 45 - 46

Answer 6

Vastly different tempo (Presto)
A change of mood (con fuoco)
A change of dynamics (suddenly ff)
A change of register (centre of piano to extremes)
A change of note values (from crotchets and quavers into energetic semiquavers)
A change of key (F major to A minor)

Question 7

B - Bars - 46 - 47

Answer 7

Mainly disjunct
Rapidly descending arpeggio figures, followed by ascending broken chord figures
Left hand plays ascending arpeggios in quavers alternating with semiquavers

Question 8

B - Bars - 46 - 50

Answer 8

46: A minor I
47: A minor vii9
48: A minor I
49: A minor vii9
50: A minor I

Question 9

B - Bars - 52 - 54

Answer 9

Same diminished chord from bar 37, preparing the ear for the modulation to F minor in bar 54

Question 10

B - Bars - 54 - 59

Answer 10

Sequence one tone lower than bar 46-51 from A minor to G minor

Question 11

B - Bars - 60 - 67

Answer 11

Em7 (b60-61) in preparation for a new musical idea starting in bar 62, a two bar dominant pattern, heard first in D minor (b62-63) then F minor (b64-65) and then Ab minor (b66-67)

Question 12

B - Bars - 70 - 77

Answer 12

Extended diminuendo with right hand descending chords in the key of Ab minor over a left hand ostinato pattern
Secondary dominant chords

Question 13

A ii - Bars - 82 - 87

Answer 13

Music return to opening material
Same as b2-7
Bar 7 has the chord progression Ic-IV followed by a rest with a fermata

Question 14

A ii - Bars - 88 - 94

Answer 14

Development of A section material with modulations to A minor (b90-91), F major (b92-93) and a hint of G major in (b93-94)

Question 15

A ii - Bars - 94 - 95

Answer 15

Same dim7 chords as in b37

Highly chromatic passage

Question 16

A ii - Bars - 98 - 107

Answer 16

Key suggestions are Db major, Gb major and Eb minor, although modulations to these keys are not established

Question 17

A ii - Bars - 107 - 109

Answer 17

Contains many sharps, but again no key firmly established
Instead a rising sequential passage of dotted rhythms builds the intensity of the music, together with a four bar crescendo and the marking: ‘stretto’

Question 18

A ii - Bars - 111 - 114

Answer 18

A section material, but with big chords, extended range and ff dynamic
The dotted rhythm heard in the treble in the A section is now transferred to the bass

Question 19

A ii - Bars - 139 - 144

Answer 19

Tempo primo and quieter section
Stretto, crescendo, rising dotted pattern and big chords although a semitone lower this time
Chromatically descending and accelerating bass in bar 139 leads to the next section

Question 20

B ii - Bars - 140 - 155

Answer 20

Tempo changes to presto con fuoco and the musical material of bars 140-155 replicates that of bars 46-61
D minor (b140-145)
A minor (b146-155)

Question 21

B ii - Bars - 156 - 167

Answer 21

Linking passage
Right hand plays alternating chord in close position and midrange, while the left hand takes up the dotted rhythm of section A

Question 22

B ii - Bars - 166 - 167

Answer 22

Powerful, descending trill in both hands, with crescendo

Question 23

C - Bars - 178 - 179

Answer 23

Descending inner part (b178)
Syncopation (b178-179)
Leaping bass (b178)

Question 24

C - Bars - 188 - 195

Answer 24

Intensity rises with further crescendo, increased chromaticism with rising sequences until most of the piano is being utilised by using leaps and chords

Question 25

C - Bar - 196

Answer 25

Arpeggiated B7 flat 5

Feels like it should resolve to E minor or C major, but moves to A minor

Question 26

Codetta Ending

Answer 26

Return to the material of the opening bars, this time in octave As instead of Cs, followed by the A section theme
After seven quavers silence, there is a gentle perfect cadence in A minor