"Chopin is the greatest of them all, for with the piano alone he discovered everything. - Claude Debussy

I love Zimerman's sound. every note so rich, never rushing

I think people do not understand what Zimerman has done. This 4 Balades + Barcarolle are the ultimate rendition of this pieces, a legacy for humankind. As a pianist I could say that there are some other renditions out there with more "passion" (Richter comes to my mind) but what Zimerman has done,as Michelangeli before, is recording the pure essence of Chopin: flawless technique and simplicity. As Chopin said: "Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art."

These 4 ballades are, in my opinion, the greatest pieces Chopin ever composed and Krystian Zimmerman is the greatest person I've heard at interpreting the pieces that are Chopin's 4 ballades.

I was overwhelmed by the music of Chopin as a teenager and 40+ years later still am. This Ballade is his greatest creation. I stand in awe of such genius; where did he draw his melody and harmony from? That joy and thankfulness at discovering his music is tinged with a sadness that so many go through life and never do the same. Thank you, Frederic Chopin, for enriching my life.

In my opinion the most poignant, profound, and complex solo piano work by Chopin. In just 11 minutes, it encapsulates all the major emotions of the human experience: joy, depression, anger ,and even love. Truly a staple in the repertoire.

It’s sad that we will never hear a real audio of Chopin playing his masterpieces

What a masterpiece, I used to listen to ballade no.1 only but I fell in love with this after I found this out.

Zimerman's interpretations of the four ballades are the best in my opinion

wow.. so much talent. can't imagine the hours that went into this

Highest masterpiece, highest interpretation. Chopin lives in this interpretation...

Chopin is by far the most elegant composer in history

Another old tale told by Zimerman. Enchanting.

The last minute of this ballad is simply insane

Even after decades of listening to many different pianists, I still come back here.

I am always impressed by Chopin's ability to develop a melody in a mature way, he never rushes to technique to prove anything, always justified and composed, always thoughtful and perfect. Truly the greatest.

I think this piece could compete as the best piano composition of all time.

From 8:52 and onwards I just can't hold the tears anymore. Chopin is definitely my favourite composer ever.

That progression at 9:32 - 10:02. Words cannot describe

I love the notes in the left hand at 9:35. It's something so small yet so wonderful to listen to. Zimerman is definitely a master at Chopin's ballades.

I got to know this piece at the point in my life when I was young and foolish, but the circumstances had me rapidly losing my youthful naivety. It spoke to me so much. Thus for me, this piece is about growing up and sacrifice. The kind of bittersweet reality of life: you get, you lose, with time you're stripped off your innocence, your dignity, your sense of invincibility. It feels like watching something die in you, and you're mourning, and you don't want to let go. But it also makes you feel you're experiencing life for the first time. And there is no coming back anyway, so you have to learn to walk again with this awareness weighing on you.

I dont know why, but for some reason tears started falling as soon as he started playing. This has been my favorite piano piece of all time and Zimmerman really gave life to it that it made me teared.

I could listen to this ballade a thousand times and still get goosebumps... Even a single note by Chopin hits the heart like no other composer. Especially when Zimmerman plays that note..

I love all Chopin's Ballades. For me every single one of them expresses some emotions. No. 1 feels like sadness, No. 2 like anger and No. 3 like happiness. But this one, Ballade No. 4, somehow describes all of these feelings. That's one of many reasons why this is my favorite Ballade.

2:43-3:25 is literally sooooooooo amazing. So simple yet compelling. This is a work of genius aka Chopin

When it comes to the Piano, I honestly feel Chopin was the undisputed king of this instrument. There are many other classical composers (Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, etc) that were also masters in their own right....also writing music for the Piano, but none focused exclusively on it like Chopin, and none had the depth of emotion (happiness, sadness, anger, despair, depression) to the extent he did.

One of the greatest pieces of music in human history.

The climax parts of these ballads are all so captivating. I always become so hyperfocused on every single note which is being played. They re just so indescribably good.

There's something special about this one. It asks us, it probes back to us like a mirror. It's otherworldly and absolutely mysterious especially the first melody segment. It transcends time

I know one should always be hesitant to use superlatives, but I'm going to say it: This piece may well be the most beautiful piano piece ever written. It's almost a religious experience.

This is my favorite Chopin piece. I find it exquisitely delicate yet it has an almost hypnotic quality to it from the expressive opening to the gently wandering lyricism--and as someone pointed out, Zimmerman's interpretation never rushes it.

3:24 - 4:18 this passage gives me goosebumps every time. I think Zimerman is one of the best interpreter of the fourth ballade.

this is the most beautiful piece i've ever heard on this world and will always be.God bless you my friend Dear chopin.

Such a crystal clear interpretation. Amazing, I am in love with this recording.

The opening is so gorgeous; just keeps my life elated.

I've just known this piece existed and I feel like I had never ever listened to music before watching it today. What a pianist, what a performance. That's the climax of any kind of art. THANK YOU

... is amazed to see the bench being pressed backwards several inches at 09:58

While listening I just closed my eyes, and savoured the magic this piece was spilling. I was just lying on my bed and my legs started tingling, various chemicals started flowing in my body, it's like I was out of this world for some time. I just can't describe it, it was magic! Music is magic.

I will never be able to get over the progression in 5:16-6:00. It starts as something scary and haunting and blossoms into something so beautiful and tender.

Best Ballade. Best interpret for it. An absolute masterpiece.

Chopin is so playful, yet full of passion.

This performance is indescribably beautiful and glorious. His subtle tone and interpretation and fine-tuned technique combined instantly mesmerize the listeners and render them to be deeply immersed into the true beauty of this one of the greatest pieces ever written by Chopin. Just amazing.

One of the deepest, romantic, and beautiful pieces of music to have ever been conceived by humanity. I love it.

It saddens me how this perfection of a piece and an interpretation only has roughly a million view on KZfaq, congrats to those who love and understand this and feel it and feel Chopin inside them and i'm sorry for others who will never be able to experience this unique feeling

If I could be born again I would learn to play the piano like this.

Such a beautiful interpretation of this piece! I wanted to learn Ballade no. 4 as well and really came up to min 6:50 (in this video). But I gave up and hadn't had enough motivation to go on...I only saw what effort would lay before me and not what I already achieved. After hearing this, I will definitely come back to this piece!

I've been studying this piece for a year now. I keep coming back to this and his studio recording as finding the truth in this music. There are others that make their case (notably Horowitz), but this intimacy, control, and passion without a hint of melodrama is far and away the best. Zimerman doesn't play everything the best, but this, unquestionably, he does.

Came back to listen to this after a long while and the sound is as rich as ever. What a maestro performance and the coda is powerful!

The piano bench moving backwards at 9:58

A truly stunning performance, Zimmerman is a piano playing god!

Chopin is the greatest Poet who has ever lived

9:42 etude no12 op25

10:40 I just *love* how he brings out the lower line here, seldom have I heard someone put so much focus on the left hand in that section.

This piece is so powerful and this performance is, perhaps, the best ever recorded.

The intro always reminds me of an early morning drive I had in New Hampshire along the coast, among the light of the morning sun, smell of the ocean, and the greens. Now I'm staying at home and surrounded by the Rockies with COVID out there. It makes me overwhelmingly sad.

There is no talent. Only the fortitude of a Man pursuing his dreams. This recording has brought tears to my eyes every time I have listened to it for the last 10 years. Kryistian Zimmerman is a man who should be held above others. His displays of passion and virtuoso are damn near unfathomable.

When I was much younger and fell madly in love with this piece (and this interpretation!), I read somewhere that this ballad was the journey of Chopin's soul, at times light and peaceful and other times tormented and tempestuous. So true!

That note held @ 3:13 😭❤️ it’s like a bell

Without a doubt, Zimmerman is the best pianist in the world. No one can play like Zimmerman, especially when it comes to Chopin Ballads. His deep tone and excellent interpretation of the song make the listener overwhelmed with ecstatic emotions. His ballad performance comforted me today.

Right here, ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves one beautiful example of what 40 hours of practice everyday can lead to.

The ballades are honestly out of the whole world of piano music to me, I keep coming back to them after all these years. They are singularities that I wouldn't ever have imagined could even be possible but can't do without now

My favorite part is at 6:24 when you've already had such an amazing musical journey and it comes back to that very first moment but in a different key

5:43 is by far the most beautiful sound I have ever heard in Chopin's music!!

My absolute favorite... This ballade is so hauntingly beautiful...

OMGGGG BACCKK!!!! KZfaq!!!! THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS 🥺☺️😭😦. THANKS FOR NOT DESTROYING CLASSICAL MUSIC. CLASSICAL MUSIC NEEDS TO BE SPREAD, NOT TO BE REMOVED JUST FOR MONEY. IM LITERALLY HAPPILY CRYING AFTER SEEING THIS VIDEO GOT UNBANNED.

I can still recall when I first got into classical music. My journey began with Chopin. Initially, I couldn't quite grasp his music, and I even thought it didn't make sense. However, it's been two years now. Chopin has become one of the greatest composers in my eyes. He went from creating simple yet rich music to crafting complex masterpieces like the one I'm listening to now. I can pick out every little detail that shows why he's such a genius. His unique melodies, the way he arranges things, voicings and little details and so much more - it all just fits perfectly and makes complete sense to me now. I just wanted to share that thought.m I can just crawl down in my bead, highest speaker of this soung in my bed, echoing in my room empty because i just have a madrass. c fe bflat dflat. mhmmmmm. hhhhhh. so beautfiul the melody is so musterious and it echos in my room. it gives me flashbacks to forest wits so pleasant to hear it echo that melody and its so musterious that it makes it very beautfil and echo like because my room is so empy. chopin is the best composer ever made because his melody is so good and sweet

5:18 is definitely the best part

My favorite part of this piece is at 9:41-9:50 and I can say that the way Zimmerman played it resonated with me. I'm no expert but I feel like this certain part of the ballade is the peak of the whole piece with the strongest emotion. I imagine humanity transcending with this certain part I dunno why xD.

6:25. The satisfaction level is unbeatable.

This piece is like crying inside only to hide the pain to yourself...

I’ve been feeling quite a lot of unnecessary guilt about something I should move on from, so listening to Chopin really cheers me up. Music is the only thing I have that I haven’t taken away from me through my stupid actions. I could never have a normal childhood and matured too quickly. I know I am a bad person, but the world at least lets me have this and I am incredibly grateful. I was an impulsive child who was developmentally delayed who did stupid things that was immoral as a result. Even being much more developed now, this year I still made the same mistake to search for a kind of attention I never got. Through this I have everything on this world but I don’t have anything at all. I want to be a moral person but it seems like every choice I have made is wrong. No matter how much I think, what I choose would be wrong, either way. I don’t think I am human at all. I am indeed a bad person undeserving of happiness, but listening to Chopin’s music, the world became less harsh, and it feels that I was granted another chance. Whatever actions I do that I can’t control that I will majorly feel guilt for, listening to Chopin makes me wish I could live in music forever. I shouldn’t be alive right now, but I felt I was given a place to solely revolve around music. And that is enough for me to feel happy.

No one else can play Chopin like this - the tone and clarity, the inner voices, the most breathing rubato... Zimerman is a god on this rep.

Still my favorite interpretation

What a masterpiece.

Took me 5 months to learn to play the notes- still learning to interper the emotional complexity. So many layers.

I am always amazed at how creatively emotional this masterpiece is. Most songs are filled with a few repetitive clever parts and a lot of comparatively dull build ups. However this one has every moment of 11 minutes filled with genius. Yet connects to each other so smoothly in both musical and emotional terms like a living organism.

I'm learning this piece and it's great. give me 10 years and I'll finish it :D

For some reason, the last 4 chords (with the lead up, of course) fill me with absolute dread and horror. Goosebumps every time 👌

Sir Fryderyk Chopin is the pride of Poland! The whole country is very proud of him! 🇵🇱

O my God. Incredible performance of this majestic music . I think he is still the best of Chopin's winners.

just one word = perfect!

The build up starting from 9:32 always gets me

i love to believe this is the same way chopin would've played this ballade. if someone asked me what perfect is, i'd say this video. i'm just in awe every time.

Simply amazing, isn't it! These have long been some of my absolute favorites of one of my absolute favorite composers, and this performance of this ballade is why! I have his performances of both concerti and they are also simply astounding! His tempi and dynamics may not be to everyone's taste but they sure are to mine!

Best interpretation of this masterpiece ever, unbeatable.

Complete genius. This is the greatest accomplishment of all existence.

2:57~3:22 is my absolute favourite part. Incredibly beautiful. so sweet sound.

8:47 Melody from heaven

This is quite simply the most tasteful and consensual interpretation of this legendary Ballade. It's not difficult to play it differently or with other nuances - but to better it is nigh-on impossible.

This is true technique. No emphatic hand moves nor grotesque faces. Only the notes, the sensibilty, the Music.

Truly a superlative performance. THE benchmark. Absolute clarity of thought, clarity of sound, appropriate tempo. Everything just sings. No fluff, no flash. He just gets 100% out of the music without any frills. Mastery. Having trouble listening to anybody else (their own errors or liberties just distract me in comparison).

I love that when you listen to this with headphones you can hear him quietly humming the melody aswell!

Wish there were Ballade No. 5 (and 6, and so on...) :(

I can understand why so many people call this Chopin's greatest work. That set of notes at 9:10 is simply heart-wrenching.

I can imagine Chopin smiling in heaven. Mr. Zimerman, you are unique. I love your technique and passion. Thanks for this splendid gift. Bravissimo!🌹❤🌹

Masterpiece.

One of the best interpretations of one of the greatest compositions ever. Listening to this makes me welcome everything that tommorow brings with open arms - positive, negative or indifferent!

Your ballade 4 is the best of the universe... So beautiful.

Ballade No. 1 instills passion in my heart. No. 4 stirs something in my soul.

Zimerman ..so perfect interpretation !.I think he's the best on piano playing Chopin. He playing "Ballade no 1 in G minor"!! I get breathless .Greeting from Brazil.