A virtuosic Ricercar by Ascanio Mayone, noted for its complex three-subject contrapuntal development. It is a quintessential example of the Neapolitan school of keyboard composition.
The management of three distinct melodic subjects simultaneously demands high-level focus and clear articulation.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
2. Ricercar Secondo (con tre Soghetti) is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 8.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 5 — meaning you can already play level 4–5 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 2. Ricercar Secondo (con tre Soghetti) lasts about 4 minutes.
2. Ricercar Secondo (con tre Soghetti) 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 1. Ricercar Primo (con due Soghetti) by Ascanio Mayone, Bergamasca by Girolamo Frescobaldi, Keyboard Sonata in E-flat major by Joseph Haydn — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.