Efter regn (After Rain) is a short, evocative character piece by Norwegian composer Ole Olsen. It is marked by a gentle, post-storm tranquility expressed through lyrical melodic lines.
At Henle 4 this is an intermediate piece that expects secure technique and real attention to phrasing. The main demands: a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; careful pedaling — clarity depends on the foot as much as the fingers; and chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
Developing a singing tone while balancing the melody against a delicate accompaniment is essential.
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.
Efter regn 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 Efter regn lasts about 3 minutes.
Efter regn 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 Drøm-Idyll by Ole Olsen, Barcarole by Ole Olsen, Alfedans by Ole Olsen — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.