ballade

American  

[buh-lahd, ba-, ba-lad] / bəˈlɑd, bæ-, baˈlad /

noun

ballades plural

1. a poem consisting commonly of three stanzas having an identical rhyme scheme, followed by an envoy, and having the same last line for each of the stanzas and the envoy.

2. Music. a composition in free style and romantic mood, often for solo piano or for orchestra.

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ballade British  

/ bæˈlɑːd, balad /

noun

1. prosody a verse form consisting of three stanzas and an envoy, all ending with the same line. The first three stanzas commonly have eight or ten lines each and the same rhyme scheme

2. music an instrumental composition, esp for piano, based on or intended to evoke a narrative

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ballades
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ballade

1485–95; < Middle French, variant of balade ballad

Example Sentences

The bland Ballade is a lesser score by the late 19th and early 20th century British composer who deserves a revival for his more substantial works.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2025

He plays Schumann’s “Arabeske” and the Fantasy in C, before a second half of Chopin, including the Ballade No. 4 and the Scherzo No. 1.

From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2022

Skating to Chopin’s Ballade No. 1, he reminded the figure skating world that he has few, if any, peers.

From Washington Post • Feb. 16, 2018

Over the past few months I have been attempting to master Chopin's Ballade No 1 in G minor, Op 23, one of the most daunting pieces in the piano repertoire.

From The Guardian • Jan. 14, 2013

I wasn't really ready to play to him, but I took his second Ballade with me, and thought I'd ask him some questions about some hard places in it.

From Music-Study in Germany from the Home Correspondence of Amy Fay by Fay, Amy