Taught by renowned pianist
Garrick Ohlsson
In this lesson, American pianist Garrick Ohlsson takes you through Chopin's G Minor Ballade. "A revolution in its time," according to Ohlsson, the piece is one of the most beloved works of the Romantic period. Ohlsson takes you on a tour of the work, revealing the miracle Chopin performs in each and every passage.<br><br>Dedicating considerable time to the introduction of the Ballade, Ohlsson analyzes the harmonic ambiguities that give the iconic opening phrase its special character. The work tells a musical story, Ohlsson stresses, and the choices you make about phrasing and rubato will influence the kind of story you're telling. Balancing Chopin's textures is also important, and Ohlsson gives advice on how to achieve a singing, bel canto line in the right hand while carefully applying pedal to layer the harmonic and contrapuntal elements in the lower registers.<br><br>As the story unfolds, there are multiple climactic moments, and the timing and pacing with which you move to and from these peaks will define the arc of the whole work. The journey also brings a series of virtuoso passages, each of which Ohlsson analyzes for the most important rhythmic and tonal elements that can aid in execution.<br><br>The coda of the work, feared by so many pianists, is the focus of the last part of Ohlsson's lesson. He breaks down the right hand's technical obstacles into its simplest elements, and offers practice advice for building the passage up slowly and comfortably.
Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23
In this lesson, American pianist Garrick Ohlsson takes you through Chopin's G Minor Ballade. "A revolution in its time," according to Ohlsson, the piece is one of the most beloved works of the Romantic period. Ohlsson takes you on a tour of the work, revealing the miracle Chopin performs in each and every passage.
Dedicating considerable time to the introduction of the Ballade, Ohlsson analyzes the harmonic ambiguities that give the iconic opening phrase its special character. The work tells a musical story, Ohlsson stresses, and the choices you make about phrasing and rubato will influence the kind of story you're telling. Balancing Chopin's textures is also important, and Ohlsson gives advice on how to achieve a singing, bel canto line in the right hand while carefully applying pedal to layer the harmonic and contrapuntal elements in the lower registers.
As the story unfolds, there are multiple climactic moments, and the timing and pacing with which you move to and from these peaks will define the arc of the whole work. The journey also brings a series of virtuoso passages, each of which Ohlsson analyzes for the most important rhythmic and tonal elements that can aid in execution.
The coda of the work, feared by so many pianists, is the focus of the last part of Ohlsson's lesson. He breaks down the right hand's technical obstacles into its simplest elements, and offers practice advice for building the passage up slowly and comfortably.
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Unlock Course →Since his triumph as winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, pianist Garrick Ohlsson has established himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess.
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