Burgmüller’s take on Verdi's Ernani is a quintessential mid-19th-century salon piece. It features high-energy bravura sections interspersed with lyrical, song-like melodies.
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; sweeping arpeggio figures that must stay smooth across positions; and ornaments that need to sound effortless, not squeezed in.
Beyond that, expect a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment, and precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece.
Focus on the coordination between a sparkling, light touch in the right hand and steady, rhythmic grounding in the left.
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.
Fantaisie Brillante sur Ernani de Verdi (Op.92) 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 Ernani de Verdi (Op.92) lasts about 7 minutes.
Fantaisie Brillante sur Ernani de Verdi (Op.92) 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 No.2 by Camille Saint-Saëns, Etude in A minor by Clara Schumann, Corrupio by Antônio Francisco Braga — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.