This is a challenging and highly dramatic Romantic étude by Alkan, pushing the boundaries of pianistic technique. Its distinctiveness lies in its relentless drive, virtuosic demands, and intense emotional expression, characteristic of Alkan's unique style.
Requires exceptional finger strength, independence, and stamina to navigate the dense textures and rapid passagework.
Alleluia (Op.25) is rated Henle level 8 of 9 — concert repertoire, roughly diploma level. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 10.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 8 — meaning you can already play level 7–8 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 Alleluia (Op.25) lasts about 9 minutes.
Alleluia (Op.25) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.