A didactic set of variations based on a traditional Christmas hymn structure. It is designed to develop a student's ability to manipulate a simple melodic line through different textures.
At Henle 4 this is an intermediate piece that expects secure technique and real attention to phrasing. The main demands: a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; ornaments that need to sound effortless, not squeezed in; and chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
Maintain a clear melodic profile while navigating varying textures in the variations.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
A level or two down with the same spirit — ideal if this piece is still out of reach.
Where this piece's skills lead: slightly harder works making similar technical demands.
Lesser-known works by the same hand, at a comparable level.
Christmas-Hymn with Variation (Op.167) is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 5.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 4 — meaning you can already play level 3–4 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 Christmas-Hymn with Variation (Op.167) lasts about 5 minutes.
Christmas-Hymn with Variation (Op.167) 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 Beauties of Iolanthe by Henry Maylath, Awakening of the Birds by Henry Maylath, Beauties Power by Henry Maylath — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.