Mary Simoni's piece is a contemporary meditation that focuses on timbre and space within the piano's lower registers. It relies on minimalist textures to evoke the solemnity suggested by the title.
At Henle 5 this is a late-intermediate piece — technically substantial, with musical demands to match. The main demands: precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece; chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others; and careful pedaling — clarity depends on the foot as much as the fingers.
Beyond that, expect a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment.
Focus on the precise control of resonance to avoid muddying the sound during sustained harmonic passages.
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.
De Profundis is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 7.
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 De Profundis lasts about 3 minutes.
De Profundis 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 Death Dance by Mary Simoni, Ave Maria (Die Glocken von Rom) by Franz Liszt, Berceuse by Armas Järnefelt — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.