Chopin - Ballade No. 3 - Zimerman, Piano

Chopin’s Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 47, composed by Frédéric Chopin, dating from 1841, is dedicated to Pauline de Noailles. The inspiration for this Ballade is usually claimed to be Adam Mickiewicz’s poem Undine, also known as Świtezianka. There are structural similarities with the “Raindrop Prelude” which was inspired by the weather in Majorca during Chopin’s disastrous vacation with George Sand. These include a repetitive A♭ which modulates into a G♯ during the C♯ minor section. – Krystian Zimerman