This is a poignant and melancholic aria from a dramatic work, showcasing expressive vocal writing adapted for piano. Its charm lies in its clear melody and sympathetic harmonic accompaniment.
Focus on bringing out the melodic line with sensitive pedaling and dynamic shaping.
Ah! Since you leave me! is rated Henle level 3 of 9 — late beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 4–5. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 3.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 3 — meaning you can already play level 2–3 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 Ah! Since you leave me! lasts about 3 minutes.
Ah! Since you leave me! is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.