This work juxtaposes the mournful elegy section with a sudden, energetic fanfarria. It is characterized by high dramatic contrast and idiomatic keyboard writing.
At Henle 5 this is a late-intermediate piece — technically substantial, with musical demands to match. The main demands: sharp dynamic and character contrasts held together in one arc; precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece; and fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo.
Beyond that, expect big chords that need weight without harshness.
Mastering the shift between the lyrical, slow section and the crisp, precise articulation of the fanfare is critical.
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.
Elegía y fanfarria 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 Elegía y fanfarria lasts about 6 minutes.
Elegía y fanfarria 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 Barricaden Galopp by Franz Xaver Chwatal, Dance of the Amazon by Anatoly Lyadov, Corrupio by Antônio Francisco Braga — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.