El Esquinazo is an iconic 'tango criollo' that displays the early development of the tango form. It is distinct for its rhythmic vitality and the typical layered texture of early Argentinian urban music.
At Henle 4 this is an intermediate piece that expects secure technique and real attention to phrasing. The main demands: a left hand with real melodic or rhythmic responsibility of its own; precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece; and chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
Mastering the interplay of the syncopated bass line and the melodic rhythmic pulses is the main technical 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.
El Esquinazo 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 El Esquinazo lasts about 3 minutes.
El Esquinazo 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 Argentino by Ángel Gregorio Villoldo, El Cachorrito by Ángel Gregorio Villoldo, El Farrista by Ángel Gregorio Villoldo — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.