 " Like ... Chopin " , writes pianist and academic Kenneth Hamilton , " Alkan 's musical output was centred almost exclusively on the piano " . Some of his music requires extreme technical virtuosity , clearly reflecting his own abilities , often calling for great velocity , enormous <unk> at speed , long stretches of fast repeated notes , and the maintenance of widely spaced <unk> lines . The illustration ( right ) from the Grande sonate is analysed by Smith as " six parts in <unk> counterpoint , plus two extra voices and three <unk> – eleven parts in all . " Some typical musical devices , such as a sudden explosive final chord following a quiet passage , were established at an early stage in Alkan 's compositions . Macdonald suggests that 
