This virtuoso concert étude showcases the composer's characteristic Polish Romantic style with heavy influence from Liszt. It is marked by demanding figuration and a fiery, declamatory middle section.
At Henle 8 this is concert repertoire: professional-level technique is the entry ticket. 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 big chords that need weight without harshness, and rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse.
The primary challenge is maintaining melodic projection over rapid-fire passagework and expansive chordal leaps.
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.
Etude de Concert is rated Henle level 8 of 9 — concert repertoire, roughly diploma level. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 10.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 8 — meaning you can already play level 7–8 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 lasts about 6 minutes.
Etude de Concert 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 Concert Paraphrase of Rigoletto, by Verdi by Franz Liszt, Bourrée fantasque by Emmanuel Chabrier, Editions - Liszt: Réminiscences de Don Juan (S.418), BV B 71 by Ferruccio Busoni — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.