Henri Herz was a legendary virtuoso of his time, and his divertimentos often serve as lyrical vehicles for salon performance. This piece emphasizes melodic expression over the extreme athleticism found in his heavier concert works.
At Henle 5 this is a late-intermediate piece — technically substantial, with musical demands to match. The main demands: a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; sweeping arpeggio figures that must stay smooth across positions; and careful pedaling — clarity depends on the foot as much as the fingers.
Beyond that, expect rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse.
The student must learn to voice the melody clearly over the lush, arpeggiated accompaniment while maintaining a flexible, expressive pulse.
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.
Divertimento No.1 (Op.15) is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 6.
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 Divertimento No.1 (Op.15) lasts about 5 minutes.
Divertimento No.1 (Op.15) 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 Californienne by Henri Herz, Divertissement brillant No.2 sur une cavatine favorite by Henri Herz, Divertissement brillant No.2 sur une cavatine favori by Henri Herz — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.