This etude is a bright, virtuosic work by the Czech master Bedřich Smetana, intended to challenge the performer's agility and finger work. It reflects his nationalistic pride combined with the technical demands of the mid-19th-century concert stage.
At Henle 6 this is an advanced piece that assumes fluent technique and rewards mature interpretation. The main demands: fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo; fine finger independence within the hand; and sweeping arpeggio figures that must stay smooth across positions.
Beyond that, expect precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece.
Focus on the evenness of the rapid scale passages and the crispness of the non-legato articulation.
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.
Concert Etude in C major, JB 1:73 is rated Henle level 6 of 9 — advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 7–8. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 9.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 6 — meaning you can already play level 5–6 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 Concert Etude in C major, JB 1:73 lasts about 4 minutes.
Concert Etude in C major, JB 1:73 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 Blaník, JB 1:112/6 by Bedřich Smetana, Allegro capriccioso by Bedřich Smetana, Ballade in E minor, JB 2:43 by Bedřich Smetana — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.