This is a lyrical contemporary piano piece focused on melodic expression and harmonic color. It stands out for its sustained, slow-moving lines and the necessity for sensitive dynamic layering.
At Henle 3 this is a late-beginner piece — comfortable hands-together playing is assumed, and musical shaping starts to matter. The main demands: a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; careful pedaling — clarity depends on the foot as much as the fingers; and chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
Beyond that, expect rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse.
The principal challenge is producing a deep, singing tone across the wide intervals without losing the legato connection.
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.
Even Now (Op.5 No.4) 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.
A typical performance of Even Now (Op.5 No.4) lasts about 4 minutes.
Even Now (Op.5 No.4) 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 Elegy For My Mother by Rufus Lin, At That Time by Rufus Lin, Ballade by Rufus Lin — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.