Joseph Jongen's 'Ballade en style libre' combines post-romantic lushness with modernist harmonic twists. It is distinct for its complex, improvisatory feel that tests the pianist's structural control.
Navigating the 'free' style requires balancing rhythmic freedom with the overarching formal logic of the composition.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Ballade en style libre is rated Henle level 7 of 9 — late advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grade 8 and above. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 9.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 7 — meaning you can already play level 6–7 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 en style libre lasts about 6 minutes.
Ballade en style libre 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 No.1 by Joseph Jongen, Ballade No.3 by Frederic Chopin, Ballade No.3 by Frédéric Chopin — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.