Lysenko’s Esquisse serves as an intermezzo, blending Ukrainian folk-inspired melodic motifs with Romantic harmonic depth. It is a deeply expressive piece that showcases his talent for short-form character writing.
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; chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others; and sharp dynamic and character contrasts held together in one arc.
Beyond that, expect rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse.
Ensure the dramatic middle section remains balanced against the more lyrical opening and closing themes.
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.
Esquisse 'Intermezzo' is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 6.
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 Esquisse 'Intermezzo' lasts about 4 minutes.
Esquisse 'Intermezzo' 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 Elegiac Capriccio by Mykola Lysenko, Barcarolle by Mykola Lysenko, Elegy in Memory of Shevchenko by Mykola Lysenko — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.