ballade
/baˈlɑːd
/noun
1A poem consisting of one or more triplets of stanzas with a repeated refrain and an envoi.We are still writing sonnets, villanelles, sestinas, even pantoums and triolets, ballades and rondels, as well as inventing ‘nonce’ forms to suit our uses....
- As if to defy the Depression, newspapers put a premium on cleverness, challenging readers with ballades and triolets, rhyming versions of operas, travelogues in verse.
- There were ballades, chants royal, kyrielles, sestinas, triolets, villanelles, and virelais to play with, and poets of varying merit had a go.
2A piece of music in romantic style with dramatic elements, typically for piano.Gone are the days of programming a Bach prelude & fugue, a Beethoven sonata, a Chopin ballade and then ending with the Prokofiev Toccata....
- His arias became more expressive in the 1840s, but he also continued to use popular song types such as barcarolles, ballades, and chansons.
- His handling of the larger pieces, especially those where narrative played the predominant role, such as the ballades, was inconsistent.
Origin
Late Middle English: earlier spelling and pronunciation of ballad.