Sydney Smith was a British virtuoso known for his highly effective operatic paraphrases on Bellini's work. This piece creates a dramatic synthesis of the most emotional segments of 'La sonnambula'.
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 wide stretches that reward larger hands and clever redistribution.
At roughly 9 minutes, stamina and memory become part of the challenge — plan practice in sections.
The performer needs to effectively manage the wide-span left-hand arpeggios to support the operatic melody in the right 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 l'opéra 'La sonnambula' (Op.96) 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 l'opéra 'La sonnambula' (Op.96) lasts about 9 minutes.
Fantaisie brillante sur l'opéra 'La sonnambula' (Op.96) 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 'Faust' by Sydney Smith, Fantaisie Brillante on 'Rigoletto' by Sydney Smith, Fantaisie brillante on Gounod's Faust by Sydney Smith — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.