John Bull was a master of keyboard virtuosity, and this Fantasia displays his characteristic use of rapid passage work and complex rhythmic imitation. The piece is notable for its athletic demands and intricate harmonic language.
At Henle 6 this is an advanced piece that assumes fluent technique and rewards mature interpretation. The main demands: independent voices that must each sing on their own line; ornaments that need to sound effortless, not squeezed in; and fine finger independence within the hand.
Beyond that, expect precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece, and fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo.
Sustaining high-velocity execution across dense ornamental patterns requires significant finger strength.
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, FVB 108 is rated Henle level 6 of 9 — advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 7–8. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 8.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 6 — meaning you can already play level 5–6 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, FVB 108 lasts about 5 minutes.
Fantasia, FVB 108 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 Fantasia, FVB 38 by John Bull, Bonny Sweet Robin by John Bull, Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor by Frédéric Chopin — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.