Piano works

In+a+review+of+some+of+Chopin%26rsquo%3Bs+piano+music+in+1841%2C+Robert+Schumann+praised+the+%26ldquo%3Bsignificant+originality%26rdquo%3B+of+his+Polish-French+contemporary%2C+evident+in+%26ldquo%3Ban+abundance+of+new+forms+which%2C+in+their+tenderness+and+daring+alike%2C+deserve+admiration%26rdquo%3B+%28Henry+Pleasants%26rsquo%3Bs+translation%29.+Some+of+these+new+forms+were+matched+by+new+titles.+For+example%2C+Chopin+borrowed+the+word+%26ldquo%3Bballade%26rdquo%3B+from+poetry+and+song+for+four+independent+pieces+in+6%2F4+or+6%2F8+time+%28two+groups+of+three+beats+to+the+bar%29%2C+all+with+a+strong+feeling+of+narrative.+Schumann+reported+a+remark+by+Chopin+that+his+ballades+had+been+prompted+by+the+poetry+of+his+compatriot+Mickiewicz.+But+this+may+be+a+matter+of+atmosphere+rather+than+of+story-lines%3A+despite+much+speculation%2C+links+with+specific+poems+have+never+been+conclusively+proved.+What+is+certain+is+that+each+of+the+ballades+has+its+own+formal+structure%2C+and+with+it+a+distinct+emotional+trajectory%3B+and+in+each+case+the+structure+provides+a+perfect+platform+for+Chopin%26rsquo%3Bs+fertile+invention+of+memorable+melodies%2C+allied+to+striking+piano+textures+and+figuration.+%3Cbr+%2F%3E%3Cbr+%2F%3EThese+striking%2C+memorable+melodies+are+played+with+the+utmost+virtuosity+and+depth+by+the+mature+piano+master+Sergei+Edelmann%21%3Cbr+%2F%3E