Schubert's late waltzes, particularly D.980, are miniature masterpieces of lyrical expression and harmonic invention. They capture a profound sense of intimacy and poignant beauty in their concise forms.
Developing a singing tone and sensitive pedaling to connect phrases is crucial for conveying the emotional depth.
2 Waltzes (D.980) is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 7.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 5 — meaning you can already play level 4–5 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 2 Waltzes (D.980) lasts about 6 minutes.
2 Waltzes (D.980) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.