Goria was a significant Parisian composer-pianist whose 'fantaisies élégantes' were highly regarded for their idiomatic writing. This work combines salon elegance with a slightly deeper harmonic palette than his contemporaries.
At Henle 5 this is a late-intermediate piece — technically substantial, with musical demands to match. The main demands: a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse; and ornaments that need to sound effortless, not squeezed in.
Beyond that, expect sweeping arpeggio figures that must stay smooth across positions.
Mastering the subtle rubato essential to the 'élégante' style is the key to musical success here.
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 élégante sur Sultana 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 Fantaisie élégante sur Sultana lasts about 7 minutes.
Fantaisie élégante sur Sultana 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 "Berceuse" Petit fantaisie by Alexandre Édouard Goria, Etude de concert No.2 by Alexandre Édouard Goria, Fantaisie Caprice pour Piano by Alexandre Édouard Goria — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.