Soler's Fandango is a monumental work of Spanish keyboard literature, known for its quasi-improvisatory sections and relentless repetition. It stands out for its bold use of the Phrygian mode and driving, percussive energy.
At Henle 8 this is concert repertoire: professional-level technique is the entry ticket. The main demands: repeated-note passages that require controlled, springy fingerwork; precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece; and fine finger independence within the hand.
Beyond that, expect fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo.
Sustaining the structural integrity and rhythmic intensity over the long form is the primary challenge.
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.
Fandango in D minor 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 Fandango in D minor lasts about 6 minutes.
Fandango in D 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 No.2 by Frédéric Chopin, Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky, Mephisto Waltz No. 1 by Franz Liszt — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.