Abstract
This essay is a study of Alkan's Symphonie for solo piano, a composite of four etudes (nos. 4-7) from his Douze Etudes dans les tons mineurs, Op. 39. This cycle, along with the Douze Etudes dans les tons majeurs, Op. 35, traverses all major and minor keys, and represents Alkan's contributions to the genre, worthy of inclusion within Chopin's and Liszt's etudes among the nineteenth-century's formidable musical-technical pianistic legacy. The essay's Introduction establishes the need for a detailed study of the Symphonie, and the four subsequent chapters present a detailed analysis (harmonic and structural) combined with an exploration of pedagogical aspects. The latter concentrate primarily on a suggested imaginary orchestration and technical considerations which include articulation, fingering, pedaling and execution, all of which contribute to the interpretation of the work.