This is an approachable salon waltz designed for early intermediate players. It relies on standard dance structures with clear periodic phrasing.
Ensure the waltz-rhythm remains buoyant without rushing the downbeat.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Au pied levé (Op.1) is rated Henle level 2 of 9 — beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 2–3. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 2.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 2 — meaning you can already play level 1–2 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 Au pied levé (Op.1) lasts about 2 minutes.
Au pied levé (Op.1) 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 Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Bouree by George Frideric Handel, Blumenwalzer by Léon Jessel — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.