Das Geisterschiff (The Ghost Ship) is a highly virtuosic, atmospheric work written by the great pianist Carl Tausig. Its distinctiveness lies in its dense, orchestral piano writing that captures the terrifying, stormy nature of the narrative.
The performer must conquer the endurance required for sustained, thunderous octave passages and rapid, shifting hand positions.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
'Das Geisterschiff' 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 'Das Geisterschiff' lasts about 6 minutes.
'Das Geisterschiff' 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 Ballad (Das Geisterschiff) by Carl Tausig, Ballade No.2 by Frédéric Chopin, Ballade No.2 by Franz Liszt — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.