Steibelt was a contemporary and rival of Beethoven, and his writing often reflects the transition from the late Classical style to early Romanticism. This commemorative work is characterized by its stark, mournful tone and period-appropriate formal rigor.
At Henle 5 this is a late-intermediate piece — technically substantial, with musical demands to match. The main demands: precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece; sharp dynamic and character contrasts held together in one arc; and ornaments that need to sound effortless, not squeezed in.
Effective use of the damper pedal and clear articulation are required to highlight the piece's operatic dramatic shifts.
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.
Elegie pour la mort du Prince Soltykoff 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 Elegie pour la mort du Prince Soltykoff lasts about 6 minutes.
Elegie pour la mort du Prince Soltykoff 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 Bataille d'Austerlitz by Daniel Steibelt, Britannia by Daniel Steibelt, Canon by Sergei Rachmaninoff — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.