Ballade

Hugo WehrleOp.5

RomanticObscureballadeC minorAndante3/4~4 min
H4
Henle (estimated)
RCM 6ABRSM 5

About this piece

Hugo Wehrle's Ballade is a salon-style character piece typical of late 19th-century German piano music. It features an expressive, vocal-style melody supported by arpeggiated textures and harmonic shifts.

Teacher notes

The primary challenge is maintaining a seamless singing line over a broken-chord accompaniment while managing rubato.

Technical focus

cantabilerubatovoicingarpeggios

Mood

lyricalmelancholicnarrative

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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 4 pieces (Intermediate) →

Frequently asked questions

How hard is Ballade (Op.5) by Hugo Wehrle?

Ballade (Op.5) is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 6.

What level do I need to play Ballade?

You should be comfortable at Henle level 4 — meaning you can already play level 3–4 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 4 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 Ballade by Henri Rosellen, Ballad for the unsung heroes by Maurice Verheul, 'Who Knows?' by Ernest Roland Ball — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.