Scholtz's Polonaise is a structurally serious, minor-key work that emphasizes the martial and melancholic aspects of the genre. It is characterized by expressive, thick chordal writing and a demanding, dramatic narrative.
At Henle 6 this is an advanced piece that assumes fluent technique and rewards mature interpretation. The main demands: a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse; and big chords that need weight without harshness.
Beyond that, expect wide stretches that reward larger hands and clever redistribution.
Focus on achieving a full, resonant tone in the dense chordal sections without creating excessive percussiveness.
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 Polonaise (Op.6) is rated Henle level 6 of 9 — advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 7–8. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 8.
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 Polonaise (Op.6) lasts about 5 minutes.
Concert Polonaise (Op.6) 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 Ballade Hongroise by Ödön Farkas, 'Ch'io mi scordi di te?' by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Liebestraum No. 3 in A-flat major by Franz Liszt — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.