This piece is a microtonal composition utilizing the quarter-tone system to explore harmonic territories beyond the standard western scale. It is distinctive for its unconventional pitch material that challenges traditional notions of consonance and dissonance.
At Henle 8 this is concert repertoire: professional-level technique is the entry ticket. The main demands: a left hand with real melodic or rhythmic responsibility of its own; polyrhythms that have to lock together without sounding mechanical; 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 several simultaneous layers, each needing its own dynamic level.
The primary challenge lies in the precise intonation of quarter-tones and navigating the non-standard harmonic language.
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.
Fantasia No.2 for Quarter-Tone Piano (Op.19) is rated Henle level 8 of 9 — concert repertoire, roughly diploma level.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 8 — meaning you can already play level 7–8 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 No.2 for Quarter-Tone Piano (Op.19) lasts about 6 minutes.
Fantasia No.2 for Quarter-Tone Piano (Op.19) 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 Contrappuntistica, BV 256 by Ferruccio Busoni, Choses en Soi by Sergei Prokofiev, Cadenza con o senza Beethoven by Frederic Rzewski — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.