Schubert's 'An den Mond' D.259 is an early, unpretentious setting of Goethe's poem, characterized by its simple, heartfelt melody. It showcases Schubert's early talent for lyrical expression.
Emphasize a clear, song-like melody and a sensitive, supportive accompaniment, with careful attention to dynamics.
An den Mond (Goethe, 1st setting) (D.259) is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 6.
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 An den Mond (Goethe, 1st setting) (D.259) lasts about 3 minutes.
An den Mond (Goethe, 1st setting) (D.259) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.