A set of variations on a famous melody attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It follows a classical structure emphasizing melodic charm and transparent textures.
Clarity of articulation in the variations is critical to maintaining the Classical style.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
'Le songe de J.J. Rousseau', air varié (Op.17) is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 6.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 4 — meaning you can already play level 3–4 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 'Le songe de J.J. Rousseau', air varié (Op.17) lasts about 5 minutes.
'Le songe de J.J. Rousseau', air varié (Op.17) 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 'The Mysteries Of Isis', Air With Variations by Matteo Carcassi, 'Tra La La', Air Varié by Matteo Carcassi, 'Under The Moonlight', Song From 'The Paid Carriages' With Variations by Matteo Carcassi — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.