A challenging concert étude by a prominent French pianist-composer, blending Lisztian bravura with Parisian refinement. The work balances technical brilliance with a soaring melodic structure.
At Henle 7 this is a late-advanced work — the technical demands are serious and sustained. The main demands: fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo; sweeping arpeggio figures that must stay smooth across positions; and octave passages that demand a relaxed wrist to avoid tension.
Beyond that, expect a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment, and sharp dynamic and character contrasts held together in one arc.
Pianists must manage the transition between sweeping arpeggiated figures and robust, rhythmic chordal sections.
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 (Op.28) 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 (Op.28) lasts about 5 minutes.
Etude de concert (Op.28) 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 Barcarolle by Émile Prudent, Rhapsody in Blue (Solo Piano) by George Gershwin, Caprice espagnol by Moritz Moszkowski — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.