Julia Rivé-King was a prominent American virtuoso whose original piano works often mirrored the flamboyant, high-Romantic style of Liszt and Thalberg. This sonata is a demanding, rarely performed work that prioritizes grand pianistic effect and bravura technique.
At Henle 7 this is a late-advanced work — the technical demands are serious and sustained. The main demands: big chords that need weight without harshness; wide stretches that reward larger hands and clever redistribution; and fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo.
Beyond that, expect octave passages that demand a relaxed wrist to avoid tension, and careful pedaling — clarity depends on the foot as much as the fingers.
At roughly 8 minutes, stamina and memory become part of the challenge — plan practice in sections.
Mastering the wide-span chordal textures and the heavy, dramatic octave passages requires both physical stamina and careful voicing.
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 Sonata. 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 9.
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 Sonata. lasts about 8 minutes.
Concert Sonata. 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 Concert Waltz by Julia Rive-King, Concert Paraphrase of Rigoletto by Franz Liszt, Concert Paraphrase Rigoletto S434 by Franz Liszt — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.