Irineu de Almeida was a key figure in early choro music, and this piece embodies the transition from classical salon forms to Brazilian popular music. It utilizes melodic shifts that prioritize expressive, lyrical phrasing.
Master the syncopation inherent in the choro style while keeping the rhythmic drive consistent.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
1919 is rated Henle level 3 of 9 — late beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 4–5. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 4.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 3 — meaning you can already play level 2–3 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of 1919 lasts about 3 minutes.
1919 is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Believe Me, If All those Endearing Young Charms by Irish Folk Music, Valse sentimentale, No. 6 by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Canson pel cabalet by Déodat de Séverac — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.