Ballade No. 3 in A flat Major, Op. 47 (Chopin)

Movements

Notes

The Ballade No. 3 in A♭ major, Op. 47, is the third of Chopin’s ballades for solo piano. It was composed in 1841. It is the only ballade by Chopin that does not end in a minor key. The inspiration for it is usually claimed to be Adam Mickiewicz’s poem Undine, also known as Świtezianka. There are structural similarities with the “Raindrop Prelude” which was inspired by the weather in Mallorca during Chopin’s disastrous vacation with George Sand. These include a repetitive A♭ which modulates into a G♯ during the C♯ minor section.

Performances