Brahms Ballades Op. 10

The 4 Ballades, Op. 10, constituted some of the finest examples of lyrical piano music written by Brahms during his youth.  They are arranged in two pairs of two, the members of each pair being in parallel keys. The first ballade was inspired by a Scottish poem “Edward, Edward" found in a collection Stimmen der Völker in ihren Liedern compiled by J. Gottfried Herder. It is also one of the best examples of Brahms's bardic or Ossianic style; its open fifths, octaves, and simple triadic harmonies are supposed to evoke the sense of a mythological past.

This is a live recording of the 4 Ballades I performed in the Master recital, in the Haitinkzaal, Amsterdam 2012.

4 Ballades Op. 10

D minor
D major (5:45'' - 12:44")
B minor (12:44" - 17:00")
B major (17:00" - 26:26")

Edward, Edward

“Why does your brand so drop with blood,
Edward, Edward?
Why does your brand so drop with blood,
And why so sad go ye, O?”

“O I have killed my hawk so good,
Mother, mother;
O I have killed my hawk so good,
And I have no more but he, O.”

Your hawk’s blood was never so red,
Edward, Edward;
Your hawk’s blood was never so red,
My dear son, I tell thee, O.”

“O I have killed my red-roan steed,
Mother, mother;
O I have killed my red-roan steed,
That went so fair and free, O.”

“Your steed was old, and ye have more,
Edward, Edward;
Your steed was old, and ye have more,
Some other dole ye dree, O.”

“O I have killed my father dear,
Mother, mother;
O I have killed my father dear,
Alas, and woe is me, O!”

“And what penance will ye dree for that,
Edward, Edward?
What penance will ye dree for that,
My dear son, now tell me, O.”

“I’ll set my foot in yonder boat,
Mother, mother,
I’ll set my foot in yonder boat,
And I’ll fare o’er the sea, O.”

“And what will ye do with your towers and your hall,
Edward, Edward?”
And what will ye do with your towers and your hall,
That were so fair to see, O?”

“I’ll let them stand till down they fall,
Mother, mother;
I’ll let them stand till down they fall,
For here never more must I be, O.”

“And what will ye leave to your bairns and your wife,
Edward, Edward?
And what will ye leave to your bairns and your wife,
When ye go o’er the sea, O?”

“The world’s room: let them beg through life,
Mother, mother;
The world’s room: let them beg through life,
For them never more will I see, O.”

“And what will you leave to your own mother dear,
Edward, Edward?
And what will you leave to your own mother dear,
My dear son, now tell me, O?”

“The curse of hell from me shall ye bear,
Mother, mother;
The curse of hell from me shall ye bear,
Such counsels ye gave to me, O!” 

(Anonymous)