Sydney Smith was a renowned salon composer, and this fantasy on Donizetti's opera is a quintessential example of the 19th-century operatic transcription genre. It features rich, bell-like melodies layered over complex accompaniment, designed specifically to showcase the pianist's singing tone and decorative facility.
At Henle 6 this is an advanced piece that assumes fluent technique and rewards mature interpretation. The main demands: a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; ornaments that need to sound effortless, not squeezed in; and sweeping arpeggio figures that must stay smooth across positions.
Beyond that, expect fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo, and chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
At roughly 8 minutes, stamina and memory become part of the challenge — plan practice in sections.
Maintain a clear, operatic cantabile in the top voice while executing the demanding, swirling decorative arpeggios in the left hand.
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.
Fantaisie brillante sur Donizetti's La Favorite (Op.71) 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 Fantaisie brillante sur Donizetti's La Favorite (Op.71) lasts about 8 minutes.
Fantaisie brillante sur Donizetti's La Favorite (Op.71) 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 Fantaisie Brillante on 'La Traviata' by Sydney Smith, Fantaisie brillante No.2 on 'Lucia di Lammermoor' by Sydney Smith, Fantaisie Brillante on 'Rigoletto' by Sydney Smith — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.