Bernard Wagenaar's Ciacona is a structurally complex work characterized by jagged, modern rhythms and thick, polyphonic textures. It represents a 20th-century interpretation of an ancient variation form.
At Henle 7 this is a late-advanced work — the technical demands are serious and sustained. The main demands: independent voices that must each sing on their own line; big chords that need weight without harshness; and wide stretches that reward larger hands and clever redistribution.
Beyond that, expect fine finger independence within the hand, and sharp dynamic and character contrasts held together in one arc.
At roughly 9 minutes, stamina and memory become part of the challenge — plan practice in sections.
Navigating the wide-spanning, dissonant chordal structures requires significant physical control and agility.
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.
Ciacona 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 Ciacona lasts about 9 minutes.
Ciacona 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 Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach, Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach, Canonic Variations & Fugue in C minor, BV B40 by Ferruccio Busoni — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.