25 Easy Studies, Op. 100: Ballade

About this work

In the Ballade, Burgmüller establishes a dark C-minor march built from repeated chords and quick replies in the bass. The middle section brightens into C major before the opening mood returns. For that contrast to register, the chords need spring without becoming heavy.
Keep the momentum beneath the chords
Begin with the bass alone and locate each entry after a rest. Add the chords with a short attack, then release the hand at once. Keep the same pulse in the major section and allow the top melody to come forward; the return to minor will then sound much clearer.
The Mutopia Project offers Bas Wassink’s typesetting from the Collection Litolff edition in the public domain. The two-page PDF retains fingering, repeats, accents and dynamic changes. Its MIDI helps trace the complete form before you browse the piano catalogue on LesPartitions.info.