Ballade No.2

York BowenOp.87

RomanticSpecialistballadeAllegro moderato4/4~10 min
H7
Henle (estimated)
RCM 10

About this piece

York Bowen's second ballade is a substantial, highly virtuosic work that showcases his rich harmonic language. It features complex, lush piano writing that borders on the orchestral in scope.

Teacher notes

Effective management of the dense, large-chordal writing and voicing is critical to prevent a muddy sound.

Technical focus

large-chordswide-spandramatic-contrastvoicingrubato

Mood

dramaticpowerfulpassionatenarrative

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Free sheet music on IMSLP

Pieces similar to Ballade No.2

Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.

Browse all Henle level 7 pieces (Late advanced) →

Frequently asked questions

How hard is Ballade No.2 (Op.87) by York Bowen?

Ballade No.2 (Op.87) is rated Henle level 7 of 9 — late advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grade 8 and above. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 10.

What level do I need to play Ballade No.2?

You should be comfortable at Henle level 7 — meaning you can already play level 6–7 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.

How long is Ballade No.2?

A typical performance of Ballade No.2 (Op.87) lasts about 10 minutes.

Where can I get free sheet music for Ballade No.2?

Ballade No.2 (Op.87) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.

What pieces are similar to Ballade No.2?

Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Barcarolle by York Bowen, Bénédiction et serment, 2 motifs de Benvenuto Cellini de Hector Berlioz by Franz Liszt, Ballata No.1 in G minor by Marco Anzoletti — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.