Brahms Ballades op. 10

The instrumental ballad was a popular musical form in the 19th century and these four pieces for piano are Brahms�s only contribution to the genre. The composer wrote the ballades during the time of his close friendship with Clara Schumann, and they exude an intimacy more typical of a vocal ballad. The pieces, which Schumann enthusiastically praised, were described by Brahms as being �not too difficult to play and even less difficult to understand.� Brahms�s Ballades op. 10 form an integral part of the advanced piano literature. This publication represents a valuable addition to the repertoire of Brahms�s piano works in B?renreiter Urtext editions. The fingering by Brahms specialist Christian K?hn, the clear notation and optimum page turns fulfil the requirements of a practical performing edition. A detailed foreword with information on performance practice, the compositional process, sources and the significance of the work completes the edition.