A character piece by Monti, known more for his violin works, showing his facility with light, dance-like instrumental textures. It features a simple harmonic palette typical of late 19th-century salon music.
At Henle 4 this is an intermediate piece that expects secure technique and real attention to phrasing. The main demands: precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece; a waltz lilt that needs charm and a flexible left hand; and fine finger independence within the hand.
Achieving a light, lifted touch in the right hand melody is essential for the character of the piece.
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.
Défilé Grec is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 5.
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 Défilé Grec lasts about 3 minutes.
Défilé Grec 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 Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 12 Variations on "Ah vous dirais-je, Maman" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.