A delicate contemporary character piece that evokes a sense of distance and longing through harmonic suspense. Its distinctiveness lies in the subtle use of dissonance within a tonal framework.
Students must master precise pedaling to bridge the gaps between atmospheric harmonic shifts.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
'tis like the distance is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 7.
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 'tis like the distance lasts about 4 minutes.
'tis like the distance 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 Für Elise by Ludwig van Beethoven, Prelude in E minor, No. 4 by Frédéric Chopin, As in a Rose Jar by Charles Wakefield Cadman — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.