Felix Arndt was a prominent ragtime and novelty pianist, and this work is a high-energy, technically demanding piece. It sits at the intersection of early jazz influences and traditional virtuosic piano writing.
At Henle 6 this is an advanced piece that assumes fluent technique and rewards mature interpretation. The main demands: fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo; repeated-note passages that require controlled, springy fingerwork; and precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece.
Beyond that, expect big chords that need weight without harshness.
Maintaining rhythmic precision in the fast, repeated-note patterns is the primary technical hurdle.
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.
Desecration is rated Henle level 6 of 9 — advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 7–8. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 9.
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 Desecration lasts about 3 minutes.
Desecration 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 Clover Club by Felix Arndt, Corrupio by Antônio Francisco Braga, Alla Tarantella by Jean Louis Nicodé — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.