Alkan's Op. 72 collection is a monumental work exploring religious themes through virtuosic piano writing, often incorporating complex polyphony and intense emotional depth. The pieces demand exceptional technical command and interpretative maturity.
Demands significant stamina and the ability to navigate dense textures while maintaining clarity.
11 Pièces dans le style religieux (Op.72) is rated Henle level 7 of 9 — late advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grade 8 and above. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 9.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 7 — meaning you can already play level 6–7 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
11 Pièces dans le style religieux (Op.72) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.