Cyril Plante's Op. 87 is a meditative composition that explores quiet, introspective harmonic landscapes. It is notable for its minimalist approach to melody and lingering atmospheric quality.
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; careful pedaling — clarity depends on the foot as much as the fingers; and fine finger independence within the hand.
Beyond that, expect rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse.
Achieving a seamless, balanced tone in the delicate melody while balancing the soft accompaniment is essential.
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.
Epitaph for piano, Op 87 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 Epitaph for piano, Op 87 lasts about 4 minutes.
Epitaph for piano, Op 87 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 El Majo olvidado by Cyril Plante, El Majo olvidado, Opus 208 by Cyril Plante, Epitaph by Cyril Plante — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.