This late Liszt work exhibits a stark, stripped-down harmonic language that deviates from his earlier virtuosic style. It is distinctive for its haunting, sparse textures and profound sense of existential resignation.
At Henle 6 this is an advanced piece that assumes fluent technique and rewards mature interpretation. The main demands: rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse; a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; and chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
Beyond that, expect several simultaneous layers, each needing its own dynamic level, and sharp dynamic and character contrasts held together in one arc.
The primary challenge is maintaining a consistent, expressive tone through complex, shifting harmonic voicings without becoming overly sentimental.
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.
Elegy No.2 (S.197) is rated Henle level 6 of 9 — advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 7–8. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 10.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 6 — meaning you can already play level 5–6 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 Elegy No.2 (S.197) lasts about 6 minutes.
Elegy No.2 (S.197) 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 Elegie No.2 by Franz Liszt, Elegy No.1 by Franz Liszt, Elegie by Franz Liszt — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.