Only a few works in the body of piano literature have been inspired by specific works of art. […] Bohuslav Martinů (besides his famous orchestral work The Frescoes of Piero della Francesca, H 352, and the much less performed Ballad “Villa by the Sea”, H 97, after the painting by Arnold Boecklin), added the interesting Ballade under Krzec’s painting “Chopin’s last chords”, H 56, to this treasure trove. Krzec is irrelevant – the man in question was a Polish painter named Józef Męcina-Krzesz (1860–1934). The painting in question can, nevertheless, be found on the internet, and in 1910 was in fact reproduced in “The Studio”. It is probably here that Martinů saw this painting – there is no documentation attesting to any exhibition of Polish painters either in Prague or elsewhere in Bohemia, and at that time Martinů was not yet traveling abroad. […] The date of origin of 1912 (viz. Halbreich’s catalog) is merely hypothetical, based on the premiere on August 15, 1912 in Polička (Halbreich erroneously lists August 14, 1912), played by Martinů himself (albeit he was not a pianist!). […]
The ballade itself has a distinctly two-part format, with a three-part format indicated – the first part (approx. 2 pages) is drawn out, wistful, and moves along like a slow march; the second part (approx. 1 page) is quick, edgy, and in a several of the final measures harks back to the theme and tempo of the first part. The basic themes of both parts are spelled out already in the first measure of the entire composition – the right hand sings the melody of theme 1, while the left plays counterpoint using the basis of the melodic outline of the second part. Over various connecting sections several additional themes are gradually heard; a little motif in the left hand is occasionally brought up to the right hand, and, just before the end of the first part, foreshadows the melodic and rhythmic character of the second part, which eventually takes over completely. And yet in the final measures of the entire composition, the themes suddenly return to the respective roles they had at the outset.
Although one would still search in vain here for any typically Martinů-like intonations or harmonies (just as nothing of Chopin is directly cited – nor is anything known about what relationship Martinů may have had with Chopin’s music), we are dealing with a work of great inner conviction, and the effort to convey a powerful emotional feeling comes across with a sense of authenticity, even suggestiveness. […]
Tomáš Víšek. The Forgotten Piano Ballad. Martinů Revue, 3/2010, s. 9.