Wollenhaupt's piece is a virtuosic concert etude that demands a high level of digital dexterity. It showcases the dramatic flair characteristic of 19th-century salon virtuosity.
At Henle 6 this is an advanced piece that assumes fluent technique and rewards mature interpretation. The main demands: fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo; fine finger independence within the hand; and sweeping arpeggio figures that must stay smooth across positions.
Beyond that, expect chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
Mastering the rapid, even finger-work required for the sweeping arpeggios across the keyboard is essential.
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.
Falling Leaves is rated Henle level 6 of 9 — advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 7–8. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 8.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 6 — meaning you can already play level 5–6 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 Falling Leaves lasts about 5 minutes.
Falling Leaves 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 Italian Concerto in F major by Johann Sebastian Bach, Columbia by Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Concert Waltz No. 1 by Alexander Glazunov — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.