Ballade

Samuel Coleridge-TaylorOp.33

RomanticSpecialistballadeD minorAllegro6/8~9 min
H7
Henle (estimated)
RCM 10ABRSM 8

About this piece

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Ballade is a substantial, highly dramatic work featuring orchestral textures and demanding virtuosic display. It combines bold thematic statements with moments of intense, intricate passage work.

Teacher notes

The endurance required for the powerful octave-runs and heavy chords is the most significant technical demand.

Technical focus

dramatic-contrastoctave-runslarge-chordsrubatospeed-agility

Mood

dramaticenergeticnarrative

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Free sheet music on IMSLP

Pieces similar to Ballade

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 (Op.33) by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor?

Ballade (Op.33) 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?

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?

A typical performance of Ballade (Op.33) lasts about 9 minutes.

Where can I get free sheet music for Ballade?

Ballade (Op.33) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.

What pieces are similar to Ballade?

Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Ballade by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Ballade No.1 by Julius Röntgen, Boléro by Maurice Ravel — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.