🇭🇺Bartók Béla Viktor János ： For Children First Edition Vol.1 No.13 Ballade BB 53 Sz 42

No. 13, “Ballade,” from the first edition of Volume 1 of For Children, is a miniature that combines the narrative quality of a simple melody with concise accompaniment and shaded expression. Listening for the exchange of short phrases and for recurring material appearing with changing character brings out a quiet sense of storytelling. The melody should sing while the inner voices and accompaniment remain restrained, and the ends of phrases should not be rushed, allowing space to breathe. Rather than exaggerating dynamic changes, varying the tone color can suggest shifts in scene and bring out the suggestive character of a ballade.