Ballade

Samuel Coleridge-TaylorOp.73

RomanticSpecialistballadeD minorAllegro con moto3/4~7 min
H6
Henle (estimated)
RCM 9ABRSM 8

About this piece

Coleridge-Taylor's Ballade is a virtuosic work that demonstrates his mastery of dramatic tension and structural development. It is characterized by swirling broken-chord figures and intense, wide-ranging dynamic shifts.

Teacher notes

Mastery of rapid, wide-spanning arpeggios while maintaining an even dynamic balance is necessary for performance.

Technical focus

speed-agilityarpeggioslarge-chordsdramatic-contrastvoicing

Mood

passionateenergeticdramaticpowerful

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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.73) by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor?

Ballade (Op.73) is rated Henle level 6 of 9 — advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 7–8. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 9.

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.73) lasts about 7 minutes.

Where can I get free sheet music for Ballade?

Ballade (Op.73) 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, Boléro by Maurice Ravel, Piano Sonata No. 8 'Pathétique' by Ludwig van Beethoven — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.