This is a contemporary ballade by Samuel James Berkahn, likely exploring a modern harmonic language and expressive freedom. Its distinction lies in its individual voice within the genre, moving beyond established Romantic conventions.
Requires careful attention to harmonic color and nuanced phrasing to convey the composer's intent.
Ballade No.2 is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 5 — meaning you can already play level 4–5 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
Ballade No.2 is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.