Chopin as one of the finest and the most cutting-edge composers of the romanticism era

introduced the genre of Ballade. It is an only instrumental structure (unlike prior ballades),
and to Its distinguishing features, we can classify the vast dramatism that is being
interspersed with great lyricism, narrative character and enormous virtuosity (especially
when it comes to codas). Chopin wrote 4 Ballads (in g minor, F major, A flat major and f
minor) and each of them differs, with the g minor op 23 and F major op 38 standing the
furthest from each other.

When we listen to both of these masterpieces one by one, we may feel as if somebody has
just told us two completely different stories. Both of which are dramatic and seem to be
tragic. But what differs them are the small moments of lyricism. In the g minor ballade, we
can sense the deep melancholy and nostalgia which is conveyed in one of the most lyrical
and beautiful melodies Chopin has ever written. When you listen to it, you feel as if the
composer was telling you some really tragic story of unrequited love. The deep sadness is
then manifested in lots of dramatic passages and virtuosic cadenzas. On the other hand, the
F major ballade to me feels more nostalgic. Chopin emigrated to France really misses his
country. At the beginning of this piece, he creates a beautiful, idyllic landscape of Poland. It's
really a badge of his patriotism. Furthermore, the F major ballade is constructed in a
different way, consisting of two contrasting music materials - the idyllic, calm and delicate
one, and the second one which is very dramatic and in bigger dynamics. On the other hand,
the g minor ballade is composed in a more evolving, developing way - building the tension
gradually from the very beginning to the end.

Notwithstanding these two ballades has pretty a lot in common, and when listened to in a
row, one could recognise that it belongs to the same type of composition. Firstly, both have a
narrative character which comes from the genre of ballade inspired by a literary genre of
ballade by Adam Mickiewicz. Furthermore, they both have very virtuoso cadenzas which
require the highest form of pianistic mastery to play. Those cadenzas are the superior finals
and the highlights of the narrative stories that are being told. The tension in both ballads is
built with the usage of diminished chords, dense harmony, and scale of the whole piano -
contrasting the lowest register with the highest.

To conclude, both of these Chopin ballads are the peak of 19th-century romanticism and
contain a great amount of dramaticism. Although they may sound very different, the structure
of the ballade and its typical features are present in both the g minor and the F major. This
cultural heritage should be praised.