Another masterpiece of Baroque counterpoint, this BWV 1086 canon showcases sophisticated imitative writing. It is characterized by its economy of means and depth of harmonic ingenuity.
The primary challenge is the exact execution of the imitation between voices.
Canon in D major (BWV 1086) is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 7.
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 Canon in D major (BWV 1086) lasts about 2 minutes.
Canon in D major (BWV 1086) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.