These characteristic waltzes by Francis Thomé further explore the composer's gift for charming melody and sophisticated harmony within the waltz form. They often exhibit a slightly more virtuosic flair than his simpler works, demanding greater precision and expressive control.
Developing a good sense of rubato and maintaining a fluid, singing tone throughout are key challenges.
6 Valses caractéristiques (Op.72) is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 4.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 4 — meaning you can already play level 3–4 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 6 Valses caractéristiques (Op.72) lasts about 9 minutes.
6 Valses caractéristiques (Op.72) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.