This early Romantic fantasy by Maria Agata Szymanowska showcases her skill as a virtuoso pianist-composer of the Polish school. It is distinctive for its elegant melodic ornamentation and salon-style charm typical of early 19th-century concert repertoire.
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; ornaments that need to sound effortless, not squeezed in; and rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse.
Beyond that, expect continuous sixteenth-note figuration that must ripple, not chatter, and fine finger independence within the hand.
The primary challenge involves maintaining a singing tone through complex, delicate ornamental passages.
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 F major 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 F major lasts about 6 minutes.
Fantaisie in F major 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 B-flat major by Maria Agata Szymanowska, Depature by Maria Agata Szymanowska, Fantaisie Pour le Pianoforte by Maria Agata Szymanowska — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.