Stojowski’s Fantaisie Op. 38 is a late-Romantic masterpiece of formal structure and emotional depth. It explores a wide range of keyboard colors through heavy chordal writing.
At Henle 7 this is a late-advanced work — the technical demands are serious and sustained. The main demands: big chords that need weight without harshness; wide stretches that reward larger hands and clever redistribution; and rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse.
Beyond that, expect careful pedaling — clarity depends on the foot as much as the fingers.
At roughly 9 minutes, stamina and memory become part of the challenge — plan practice in sections.
Students must develop a robust sound for large chords while keeping the rhythmic pulse steady during rubato 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 (Op.38) is rated Henle level 7 of 9 — late advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grade 8 and above. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 9.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 7 — meaning you can already play level 6–7 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 (Op.38) lasts about 9 minutes.
Fantaisie (Op.38) 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 Concert Paraphrase of Ernani, by Verdi by Franz Liszt, Bénédiction et serment, 2 motifs de Benvenuto Cellini de Hector Berlioz by Franz Liszt, Dramatic Fantasia, H.66 by Frank Bridge — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.