An evocative piece by Anselmo González del Valle that captures a dark, Romantic mood. It effectively uses minor-key inflections to create a sense of mystery.
At Henle 5 this is a late-intermediate piece — technically substantial, with musical demands to match. The main demands: a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse; and several simultaneous layers, each needing its own dynamic level.
Beyond that, expect careful pedaling — clarity depends on the foot as much as the fingers.
The performer must balance dramatic shifts in intensity while maintaining a continuous singing line.
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 secreto de una dama (Op.18) 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 secreto de una dama (Op.18) lasts about 6 minutes.
El secreto de una dama (Op.18) 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 De Profundis by Yury Tyulin, De Profundis II by Christophe Queval, Asturias (Leyenda) by Isaac Albéniz — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.