Ramin Kuliev's Ballad is a modern composition that favors simplified, clear melodic lines over the virtuosic complexity of earlier eras. It is accessible for intermediate players while maintaining a thoughtful, introspective mood.
Focus on the independent control of the melody against a subtle, layered accompaniment.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Ballad is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 6.
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 Ballad lasts about 3 minutes.
Ballad 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 Au soir by Joachim Raff, Ave Maria in A (1860) by Camille Saint-Saëns, Alleluia by Cécile Chaminade — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.