Volkmann’s Op. 51 contrasts a narrative ballade with a light-hearted, nimble scherzetto. The piece is distinctive for its sudden shifts in character and technical demand.
The technical challenge lies in the rapid articulation required for the scherzetto and the abrupt dynamic transitions.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Ballade and Scherzetto (Op.51) is rated Henle level 6 of 9 — advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 7–8. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 8.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 6 — meaning you can already play level 5–6 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 and Scherzetto (Op.51) lasts about 8 minutes.
Ballade and Scherzetto (Op.51) 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 Allegretto capriccioso by Robert Volkmann, Allegretto capriccioso by Robert Volkmann, Boléro by Maurice Ravel — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.