A concise three-movement sonata that reflects Ravel's neoclassical tendencies within his distinct impressionistic sound world. It is highly regarded for its structural economy and crystalline textures.
The player must maintain absolute rhythmic precision and clarity of articulation throughout the complex, interlocking patterns.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Sonatine 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 10.
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 Sonatine lasts about 11 minutes.
Sonatine 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 Le tombeau de Couperin by Maurice Ravel, Miroirs by Maurice Ravel, Boléro by Maurice Ravel — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.