A sophisticated work by Amy Beach that combines a fantastical, improvisational opening with a rigorous fugal section. It showcases her command of late-Romantic harmonic language fused with traditional contrapuntal forms.
At Henle 7 this is a late-advanced work — the technical demands are serious and sustained. The main demands: independent voices that must each sing on their own line; fine finger independence within the hand; and precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece.
Beyond that, expect chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others, and continuous sixteenth-note figuration that must ripple, not chatter.
At roughly 8 minutes, stamina and memory become part of the challenge — plan practice in sections.
The piece requires exceptional control over contrapuntal lines to ensure that individual voices remain audible through the complex textures.
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.
Fantasia fugata (Op.87) 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 Fantasia fugata (Op.87) lasts about 8 minutes.
Fantasia fugata (Op.87) 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 Amy Marcy Beach, Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach, Fantasia and Fugue, C minor by Johann Sebastian Bach — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.