A grand, atmospheric fantasy by the Belgian composer Peter Benoît. It displays a dramatic sense of narrative development typical of 19th-century concert repertoire.
At Henle 6 this is an advanced piece that assumes fluent technique and rewards mature interpretation. The main demands: a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse; and big chords that need weight without harshness.
Beyond that, expect chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
Students must balance the thick chordal writing with a clear, projected melody.
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.
Derde Fantasie (Op.18) is rated Henle level 6 of 9 — advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 7–8. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 7.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 6 — meaning you can already play level 5–6 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 Derde Fantasie (Op.18) lasts about 7 minutes.
Derde Fantasie (Op.18) 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 Berceuse de guerre by John Alden Carpenter, Ballade by Alexander Glazunov, Cambrian Ballade No.1 by Joseph Holbrooke — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.