Antoine François Marmontel was a renowned piano pedagogue who authored numerous etudes for his students at the Paris Conservatoire. This C minor work serves to develop technical dexterity and clear articulation in the student.
At Henle 4 this is an intermediate piece that expects secure technique and real attention to phrasing. The main demands: fine finger independence within the hand; precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece; and sweeping arpeggio figures that must stay smooth across positions.
Beyond that, expect fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo.
Focus on evenness of touch and clear finger articulation during rapid passage work.
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 in C minor is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 4.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 4 — meaning you can already play level 3–4 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
Etude in C minor 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 Antoine François Marmontel, Solfegetto in C minor, H 220 by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, El Entrerriano by Rosendo Mendizábal — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.