This is a rare piece from the Latin American Romantic tradition, exhibiting characteristically expressive, vocal-style writing. It emphasizes atmosphere and emotional restraint over virtuosic display.
Achieving a seamless connection between lyrical phrases and the accompanying texture is essential for success.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Ballade No.1 (Op.16) is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 5 — meaning you can already play level 4–5 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
Ballade No.1 (Op.16) 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 in C major by Daniel Fagundo García, Liebestraum No. 3 in A-flat major by Franz Liszt, Nocturne in E-flat major, No. 2 by Frédéric Chopin — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.