This concert etude is a demanding late-Romantic display piece characterized by rapid figuration and technical bravura. It showcases the influence of the Lisztian tradition on early 20th-century American pianism.
At Henle 7 this is a late-advanced work — the technical demands are serious and sustained. The main demands: fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo; sweeping arpeggio figures that must stay smooth across positions; and fine finger independence within the hand.
Beyond that, expect precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece.
The primary challenge is maintaining clarity and evenness in the rapid, unrelenting sixteenth-note patterns at a high tempo.
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.
Concert Etude op26 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 10.
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 Concert Etude op26 lasts about 4 minutes.
Concert Etude op26 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 Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor by Frédéric Chopin, Rhapsody in Blue (Solo Piano) by George Gershwin, 'I Got Rhythm' Variations by George Gershwin — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.