This piece attempts to evoke a sense of storytelling through a series of folk-like melodic phrases. It is a quintessential example of the 19th-century 'alte Geschichte' genre.
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; chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others; and careful pedaling — clarity depends on the foot as much as the fingers.
Pay close attention to subtle shifts in dynamics to convey the narrative arc of the piece.
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.
Eine alte Geschichte (Op.28) is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 5.
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 Eine alte Geschichte (Op.28) lasts about 4 minutes.
Eine alte Geschichte (Op.28) 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 El camino del Peregrino by Abraham Tena Manrique, Ballade No.2 by Andrei Anghel, Clair de lune - piano by Claude Debussy — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.