Part of a collection of salon pieces by the Argentine guitar virtuoso, this work transposes his idiomatic guitar-style fingerings to the piano. It is known for its rapid, virtuosic runs and lively character.
At Henle 5 this is a late-intermediate piece — technically substantial, with musical demands to match. 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 chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
Developing the agility required for rapid scalar passages and broken-chord patterns is the main goal.
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.
El Escandaloso (Op. 121) is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 7.
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 El Escandaloso (Op. 121) lasts about 4 minutes.
El Escandaloso (Op. 121) 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 andalúz by Julio Salvador Sagreras, El porteño by Julio Salvador Sagreras, El rosarino by Julio Salvador Sagreras — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.