Frank Martin (mahr-TAN), one of the leading Swiss composers of the 20th century, wrote in a neo-classical style enriched by a Honegger-like control over harmonic tension. He wrote six pieces he called "ballades," turning a familiar 19th-century term for a type of characteristic piano piece with a singable line and a feeling of narration to a completely different use. Martin's ballades are more like individual concerto movements, with a symphonic sort of building tension (of which Martin was a master). All of the ballades feature a solo instrument. Unlike most of them, this one was written with orchestral accompaniment from the outset. It was completed in 1939 and premiered under the baton of Ernest Ansermet in 1941 in Zürich.

It begins in a lyrical vein. The neo-classical element begins to assert itself in the form of Bach-like figurations. This supporting texture keeps growing until it overwhelms the melody. In the next section, a melody keeps adding more instruments until it dominates the accompaniment. A couple of parodies break out: A waltz and a funeral march. A cadenza reviews the main melodic material before the end. This ballade became one of the best-known compositions of Martin.

© Joseph Stevenson, All Music Guide