A late-modern take on the traditional Spanish Fandango form, utilizing virtuosic figurations. It displays a blend of traditional dance rhythms and modern pianistic textures.
At Henle 5 this is a late-intermediate piece — technically substantial, with musical demands to match. The main demands: fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo; ornaments that need to sound effortless, not squeezed in; and precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece.
Beyond that, expect chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
Focus on clarity in the fast-moving sixteenth note passages and clear articulation of the dance accents.
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.
Fandango (Op.60) is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 7.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 5 — meaning you can already play level 4–5 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 (Op.60) lasts about 4 minutes.
Fandango (Op.60) 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 Alea by Manuel Alejandre Prada, Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor by Frédéric Chopin, Alexander's Ragtime Band by Irving Berlin — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.