This piece is a masterpiece of Romantic restraint, focusing on a hymn-like melody that flows through rich, harmonic modulations. It is renowned for its tranquil beauty and the requirement for a perfectly nuanced singing tone.
Achieving a seamless legato melody against the arpeggiated accompaniment requires precise finger control and subtle pedaling.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Consolation No. 3 (S. 172) is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 8.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 5 — meaning you can already play level 4–5 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 Consolation No. 3 (S. 172) lasts about 4 minutes.
Consolation No. 3 (S. 172) 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 Ave Maria d'Arcadelt by Franz Liszt, Ave Maria in G by Franz Liszt, Ave Maria IV, Solo piano by Franz Liszt — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.