Józef Nowakowski, a contemporary of Chopin, wrote this fantasy on themes from Moniuszko’s national Polish opera. The work synthesizes traditional bravura elements with an idiomatic Polish musical language, focusing on expressive melodic development.
At Henle 7 this is a late-advanced work — the technical demands are serious and sustained. The main demands: fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo; fine finger independence within the hand; and a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment.
Beyond that, expect wide stretches that reward larger hands and clever redistribution.
At roughly 8 minutes, stamina and memory become part of the challenge — plan practice in sections.
The main challenge is handling the wide-span arpeggiated accompaniment while maintaining the intensity of the operatic melody.
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 sur l'opéra 'Halka' (Op.51) 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 8.
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 sur l'opéra 'Halka' (Op.51) lasts about 8 minutes.
Fantaisie sur l'opéra 'Halka' (Op.51) 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 Ballade by Józef Nowakowski, Fantaisie sur des airs polonais by Józef Nowakowski, Ballade No.2 by Józef Nowakowski — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.