This is the same work as the previous entry, highlighting the composer's full Russian-inflected identity. It is a cornerstone of his output for the piano, demanding significant maturity and tonal control.
Students must balance the dramatic, wide-spread chords with an equally powerful, expressive melodic projection.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Ballade (Op.42) 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 10.
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 (Op.42) lasts about 8 minutes.
Ballade (Op.42) 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 by Sergei Bortkiewicz, Cammino Funebre No.1 in B-flat minor by Marco Anzoletti, Ballade No.1 by Frederic Chopin — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.