The thirty-sixth classical recording: #279 Frederic Chopin - Ballades
Here's a different way of approaching it. Where we mostly listen to these songs online, often through Spotify, on a recent holiday to Chopin's homeland of Poland we went to a live concert. A talented pianist played a selection of works including Chopin's four ballades. The atmosphere of such a concert, with about 30 people in the room, felt quite different, more intimate as the pianist got into the music completely. The ballades made this even more impressive, as they sound complicated, mixing speeds and generally seeming full on. There are breaks in the music, but they're quite deliberate to lead up to a further theme. It's a wonderful variety in sounds that lead to amazing music that's enough to carry you away. I'm glad I got to see this live - it made it even more impressive.