Busoni’s cadenza for the K. 491 concerto adds a layer of brooding intensity to Mozart's darkest concerto. It is renowned for its harmonic sophistication and structural weight.
The player must balance the severe dramatic tension of the piece with the need for clear, crisp articulation in fast passages.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Cadenza to Mozart's Piano Concerto (K. 491) is rated Henle level 8 of 9 — concert repertoire, roughly diploma level.
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 Cadenza to Mozart's Piano Concerto (K. 491) lasts about 3 minutes.
Cadenza to Mozart's Piano Concerto (K. 491) 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 Cadenza to Mozart's Piano Concerto No.23, BV B 9 by Ferruccio Busoni, Cadenza to Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 by Ferruccio Busoni, Canonic Variations & Fugue in C minor, BV B40 by Ferruccio Busoni — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.