A quintessential example of Romantic piano literature, this piece balances a frantic, swirling outer section with a serene, famous middle-section melody. Its lasting fame comes from the seamless integration of technical brilliance and melodic beauty.
The persistent three-against-four polyrhythm between the hands requires extreme independence and rhythmic precision.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor (Op. 66) is rated Henle level 7 of 9 — late advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grade 8 and above. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 10.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 7 — meaning you can already play level 6–7 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 Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor (Op. 66) lasts about 5 minutes.
Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor (Op. 66) 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 Waltz in A-flat major by Frédéric Chopin, Ballade No.2 by Frédéric Chopin, Polonaise in A-flat major by Frédéric Chopin — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.