Circo-Scherzo No. 2 is an evocative, modern character piece that blends virtuosic agility with playful thematic material. It is distinctive for its sudden shifts in dynamic energy and harmonic color.
At Henle 5 this is a late-intermediate piece — technically substantial, with musical demands to match. The main demands: fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo; sharp dynamic and character contrasts held together in one arc; and precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece.
Beyond that, expect rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse.
Work on the rapid finger-agility required for the scherzo-like sections.
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.
Circo-Scherzo No.2 is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 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.
A typical performance of Circo-Scherzo No.2 lasts about 4 minutes.
Circo-Scherzo No.2 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 Circo -Scherzo No.2 by Giovanni Di Domenico Navone, Alexander's Ragtime Band by Irving Berlin, Rondo capriccioso in E major by Felix Mendelssohn — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.