Epígeno No.3 is an expressive modern work by Jailton de Oliveira that blends traditional harmonic colors with contemporary phrasing. It is distinctive for its use of lingering, unresolved tensions that create a narrative sense of longing.
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; a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; and rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse.
Students must navigate the subtle rubato required to make the melodic lines sound conversational.
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.
Epígeno No.3 is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 5.
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 Epígeno No.3 lasts about 4 minutes.
Epígeno No.3 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 Beryllisations No.10 by Jailton de Oliveira, Epigeno No.2 by Jailton de Oliveira, Choro Atonal by Jailton de Oliveira — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.