Constantin von Sternberg, a pupil of Liszt, composed works that bridge late Romantic expressivity and virtuosic craft. This etude is highly atmospheric and leans into the darker, more dramatic possibilities of the piano.
At Henle 7 this is a late-advanced work — the technical demands are serious and sustained. The main demands: big chords that need weight without harshness; sharp dynamic and character contrasts held together in one arc; and chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
Beyond that, expect rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse, and a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment.
The major challenge is balancing the heavy, dramatic chords with the underlying melodic intensity.
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.
Etude de concert No.3 (Op.103) is rated Henle level 7 of 9 — late advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grade 8 and above. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 9.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 7 — meaning you can already play level 6–7 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 Etude de concert No.3 (Op.103) lasts about 5 minutes.
Etude de concert No.3 (Op.103) 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 Ballade by Edvard Grieg, 1.X.1905 by Leoš Janáček, Ballade by Ignaz Friedman — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.