Colibri Op. 72 is a charming character piece by Swedish composer Laura Netzel. It features delicate melodic lines that evoke the fluttering movement of a hummingbird.
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; fine finger independence within the hand; and precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece.
Beyond that, expect chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
The primary challenge is maintaining an even, light touch across the rapid, delicate figurations.
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.
Colibri (Op.72) is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 6.
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 Colibri (Op.72) lasts about 3 minutes.
Colibri (Op.72) 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 Ballad by Laura Netzel, Berceuse by Laura Netzel, Berceuse by Laura Netzel — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.