A largely forgotten Classical-era fantasia by Sterkel, reflecting the galant style transitioned into early keyboard virtuosity. It features nimble passage-work and idiomatic keyboard textures common to late 18th-century writing.
At Henle 5 this is a late-intermediate piece — technically substantial, with musical demands to match. The main demands: ornaments that need to sound effortless, not squeezed in; fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo; and precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece.
Beyond that, expect Alberti-bass accompaniment kept quiet and even under the melody, and fine finger independence within the hand.
Focus on the crispness of the rapid scale passages and maintaining clarity in the ornamentation.
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 in A minor, StWV 226 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 in A minor, StWV 226 lasts about 6 minutes.
Fantaisie in A minor, StWV 226 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 Divertissement in A minor by Johann Franz Xaver Sterkel, Fantaisie by Johann Franz Xaver Sterkel, Divertissement in A minor, StWV 228 by Johann Franz Xaver Sterkel — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.