An alternative listing for Novák's Manfred ballade, which stands out for its dark, brooding thematic material. It is a demanding work that explores the darker facets of Romanticism.
Careful attention must be paid to achieving a balance between the dramatic intensity and the lyrical, quieter interludes.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Ballade after Byrons's Manfred is rated Henle level 8 of 9 — concert repertoire, roughly diploma level. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 10.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 8 — meaning you can already play level 7–8 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 Ballade after Byrons's Manfred lasts about 12 minutes.
Ballade after Byrons's Manfred 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 Ballade after Byron's Manfred by Vítězslav Novák, Ballade after Byrons's Manfred by Vítězslav Novák, Ballade No.2 by Frédéric Chopin — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.