This Waltz Rondo by Robert Walter Jacobs is a more virtuosic take on the 'Dreaming' theme, featuring extended arpeggiated figures and rondo-form structural complexity. It stands out from simple salon pieces due to its technical demands.
At Henle 4 this is an intermediate piece that expects secure technique and real attention to phrasing. The main demands: a waltz lilt that needs charm and a flexible left hand; sweeping arpeggio figures that must stay smooth across positions; and rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse.
Beyond that, expect chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others, and fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo.
Precision in the fast, arpeggiated passagework while maintaining the foundational waltz pulse is the primary challenge.
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.
Dreaming (Waltz Rondo) is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 7.
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 Dreaming (Waltz Rondo) lasts about 6 minutes.
Dreaming (Waltz Rondo) 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 'S Wonderful by George Gershwin, Arabesque No. 1 by Claude Debussy, Black Beauty by Duke Ellington — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.