The Ballade from the Opus 100 collection is a dramatic work in ternary ABA form. In the key of C minor it is an excellent performance piece for those engaged in the process of acquiring a secure keyboard technique. Practicing the PlentyMusic C minor improver technical drills would be excellent preparation for playing this piece. The improver realisation plays back at a modest 84 dotted quarter notes (crotchet) beats 84 to the minute although the recommended tempo marking is nearer the 100 dotted quarter notes to the minute. This is an excellent composition to develop performance skills as it is pianistic and offers some flexibility as to how it can successfully be played from the tempo, articulation and dynamics point of view. In the sheet music video score the music editor advises that some of the graphics relating to the score detail behave rather unpredictably in this format. Friedrich Burgmuller 1806-1874 was a German pianist and composer identified with the romantic period in music history known particularly for his Opus 100 teaching pieces - 25 Easy and Progressive Studies. The Burgmuller Opus 100 collection contains music that is relatively easy to play embracing many of the composition models in place during the 19th century. This is a time in music history when most homes would have had a piano in the household. The instrument was studied and taught widely. Burgmuller demonstrates a gift for embracing many musical and stylistic elements into piano miniatures that are excellent practice and performance material for the improver level pianist stepping up to the intermediate and more advanced levels.
