This piece from Albéniz's 'Doce piezas características' demonstrates his mastery of Spanish Romantic keyboard writing. It balances fiery technical passages with lyrical, melancholic themes.
At Henle 6 this is an advanced piece that assumes fluent technique and rewards mature interpretation. The main demands: sweeping arpeggio figures that must stay smooth across positions; a left hand with real melodic or rhythmic responsibility of its own; and rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse.
Beyond that, expect a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment.
The primary challenge is balancing the rapid, flowing arpeggiated accompaniment with the singing, deeply expressive 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.
Deseo (Op.40) is rated Henle level 6 of 9 — advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 7–8. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 8.
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 Deseo (Op.40) lasts about 5 minutes.
Deseo (Op.40) 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 Asturias (Leyenda) by Isaac Albéniz, Deseo, Estudio de concierto by Isaac Albéniz, Célèbre sérénade espagnole by Isaac Albéniz — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.