Jean Henri Ravina was a noted pianist and composer whose works often served as pedagogical showpieces. This divertissement displays the typical lighthearted, virtuosic character of mid-19th-century salon music.
At Henle 4 this is an intermediate piece that expects secure technique and real attention to phrasing. The main demands: fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo; sweeping arpeggio figures that must stay smooth across positions; and precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece.
Beyond that, expect continuous sixteenth-note figuration that must ripple, not chatter.
Requires crisp articulation and agility in the right-hand passage work.
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.
Divertissement No.3 is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 6.
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 Divertissement No.3 lasts about 5 minutes.
Divertissement No.3 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 Delire by Jean Henri Ravina, Bergerie op.48 by Jean Henri Ravina, Ballade by Jean Henri Ravina — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.