Ballade

Henryk ObuchowiczOp.5

RomanticObscureballade~5 min
H6
Henle (estimated)
RCM 8ABRSM 7

About this piece

Henryk Obuchowicz's Ballade Op. 5 is an ambitious, virtuosic work indicative of the late Romantic grand style. It emphasizes keyboard breadth and significant dynamic range.

Teacher notes

The technical demand of large, spanning chords requires secure hand positioning and careful release to avoid tension.

Technical focus

large-chordswide-spandramatic-contrastrubato

Mood

powerfuldramaticpassionate

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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 6 pieces (Advanced) →

Frequently asked questions

How hard is Ballade (Op.5) by Henryk Obuchowicz?

Ballade (Op.5) is rated Henle level 6 of 9 — advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 7–8. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 8.

What level do I need to play Ballade?

You should be comfortable at Henle level 6 — meaning you can already play level 5–6 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.5) lasts about 5 minutes.

Where can I get free sheet music for Ballade?

Ballade (Op.5) 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 Variations sérieuses by Felix Mendelssohn, Ballade by César Franck, Ballade by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.