Telemann's 'Ach wie nichtig, ach wie flüchtig' is a brilliant contrapuntal work, often in the form of a fugue, that musically depicts the fleeting nature of earthly things. Its distinctiveness lies in its vigorous passagework and intricate fugal development.
Develop finger dexterity and precise articulation for the rapid scalar and arpeggiated figures.
Ach wie nichtig ach wie flüchtig, TWV 4:6 is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 7.
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 Ach wie nichtig ach wie flüchtig, TWV 4:6 lasts about 2 minutes.
Ach wie nichtig ach wie flüchtig, TWV 4:6 is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.