Ballade

Max JentschOp.63

RomanticObscureballadeE minorAllegro con brio3/4~7 min
H6
Henle (estimated)
RCM 8ABRSM 7

About this piece

Max Jentsch's Ballade is a dense, virtuosic work reminiscent of the late Lisztian tradition. It relies heavily on wide-spanned chords and dramatic, bravura-style gestures.

Teacher notes

The pianist must focus on forearm relaxation to support the large, dense chordal writing without creating tension.

Technical focus

large-chordswide-spandramatic-contrastoctave-runs

Mood

passionatepowerfulnarrative

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Free sheet music on IMSLP

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Frequently asked questions

How hard is Ballade (Op.63) by Max Jentsch?

Ballade (Op.63) 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.63) lasts about 7 minutes.

Where can I get free sheet music for Ballade?

Ballade (Op.63) 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 Barcarole by Max Jentsch, Ballade No.2 by York Bowen, Ballade by Georg Schumann — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.