Gustav Lange was a prolific composer of drawing-room music whose works defined the sentimental style of the late 19th century. This piece relies on conventional but effective harmonic progressions and a sweet, melodic focus.
At Henle 4 this is an intermediate piece that expects secure technique and real attention to phrasing. The main demands: a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; careful pedaling — clarity depends on the foot as much as the fingers; and sweeping arpeggio figures that must stay smooth across positions.
Beyond that, expect chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
The student needs to balance the right-hand melody against a flowing, arpeggiated accompaniment.
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.
Crême de la Crême (Op.79) is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 6.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 4 — meaning you can already play level 3–4 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 Crême de la Crême (Op.79) lasts about 4 minutes.
Crême de la Crême (Op.79) 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 Bunte Schmetterlinge by Gustav Lange, An der Wiege by Gustav Lange, Blätterrauschen by Gustav Lange — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.