Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 reaches its most emotional and technical extremes in the final coda.
In this lesson segment, Garrick Ohlsson shows how to keep your hand loose and responsive when the music becomes turbulent. He explains why the real difficulty comes from shifting hand balance and how rebound motion prevents tension from building.
You’ll also see why holding back earlier in the piece gives you more control when the coda arrives. It’s a rare chance to hear a Chopin Competition winner break down the passage step by step and explain how to approach it with confidence and clarity.
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