Chopin, Frédéric, 1810-1849. Ballades, piano, no. 4, op. 52, F minor

The Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52 is a ballade for solo piano by Frédéric Chopin, completed in 1842 in Paris and published in 1843 with a dedication to Baroness Charlotte de Rothschild. Being his last published ballade, the piece is commonly considered one of the masterpieces of piano music. Of the four ballades, it is considered by many pianists to be the most difficult, both technically and musically. It is also the longest, taking around ten to twelve minutes to perform. According to John Ogdon, it is "the most exalted, intense and sublimely powerful of all Chopin's compositions... It is unbelievable that it lasts only twelve minutes, for it contains the experience of a lifetime."