This etude by Shuwen Zhang is a contemporary work exploring the harmonic resonance of E major. It prioritizes a clear melodic voice over harmonic accompaniment.
At Henle 3 this is a late-beginner piece — comfortable hands-together playing is assumed, and musical shaping starts to matter. The main demands: sweeping arpeggio figures that must stay smooth across positions; a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; and chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
Focus on the balance between the delicate right-hand melody and the supportive arpeggiated figures.
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 No.9 in E major is rated Henle level 3 of 9 — late beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 4–5. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 4.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 3 — meaning you can already play level 2–3 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
Etude No.9 in E major 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 Etude No.7 in A major "Pastorale" by Shuwen Zhang, Etude No.23 in F major by Shuwen Zhang, Etude No.23 in F major "Summer Sunshine through Tree Leaves" by Shuwen Zhang — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.