Often called the 'Dante Sonata,' this programmatic work depicts the descent into the circles of Hell and the subsequent emergence into light. It is one of Liszt's most powerful explorations of dramatic contrast and virtuosic intensity.
The main technical hurdle is navigating the colossal octave passages and relentless, storm-like tremolandos with absolute control.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Après une lecture de Dante is rated Henle level 9 of 9 — virtuoso repertoire, roughly concert / virtuoso level. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 10.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 9 — meaning you can already play level 8–9 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 Après une lecture de Dante lasts about 17 minutes.
Après une lecture de Dante 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 Ballade No.2 by Franz Liszt, Ballade No.1 by Franz Liszt, Mephisto Waltz No. 1 by Franz Liszt — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.