In the Middle Ages in the Romance language folk dance song called the ballad (from the Latin "points" - "dance"). It occurred on the round dance songs in France and Italy. Later, Western European nations, this song becomes a narrative in nature, often with dramatic and lyrical content. Composed ballads, troubadours and truvery (poets, singers), performed by jugglers, minstrels, bards (see Medieval music in Western Europe).
Later ballad widespread in folk art in England and Scotland. Losing the connection with dance, she performed as a solo song with the chorus, narrating the adventures and a variety of events - epic, drama, fiction, satire, etc.
In the middle of the XVIII century. appeared poetry collection of Scottish folk ballads, inspired by them have created their ballads of JW Goethe. Herder. Schiller. Composers shifted their texts to the music - so there were vocal ballads. Special peak they reached in the works of Franz Schubert. One of the major vocal works of the composer - the ballad "Erlkönig" (the words of Goethe). It conveys a dramatic scene: riding a horse through the night forest with the sick, raving baby's father. Boy fancies a fabulous creature chasing him, and beckoning to his Erlkönig. Music is riddled with anxiety, acute anxiety being born thanks to the rhythm of quick jumps, agitated retorts the boy.
In the Russian art of the ballad originally added in romantic poetry. This genre is especially fond of VA Zhukovsky. His ballads became the basis of vocal works in Russian music.
Ballads not only created as independent works, but also included as a sideshow operuu major musical stage works. Finn's story of his adventures, the sorceress Naina in Glinka's opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila" (the poem by Pushkin) was named composer of the ballad. It is distinguished by epic-leisurely narrative tone. close byliny.Diverse implementation genre of vocal ballads received from Mussorgsky, Borodin.Rimsky - Korsakov and other composers.
Since the beginning of the XVIII century. in England and other European countries spread ballad opera. It contained a large number of folk songs and was a satirical comedy. The universal acceptance of this genre brought Opera poor "(1728, text by J. Gay. The music James Pepusha) - sharp parody of the manners of the English aristocracy.
Instrumental ballad - a genre characteristic of romantic music. The epic narrative merges with dramatic paintings, lyrical emotion - with a picture picturesque. These are four of Chopin piano ballad inspired by the images of the homeland, lyrical memories of her events in its history. Known piano ballad Liszt, Grieg.
In contemporary music have proliferated as a vocal, choral, so Mr. instrumental ballads.
The term "ballad" is sometimes used in conjunction with the designation of other genres, pointing to certain features of the content of the product.