twocats I think for this particular piece very few people will, at least not at the speed of this recording!
I'm taking it on as a challenge piece. I've been practicing interlocking 8ve scales, LH/RH chromatic then the major keys, 4 8ves up and down, so this one is right in line with it. Alkan marks it at quarter=144. The recording, at least according to my metronome is actually a wee bit (mercifully) slower at quarter around 127, then faster and slower, since the playing is (thankfully) not metronomic. Alkan doesn't make a tempo change at the middle section, but I think it needs a bit of time so people can hear what's happening. A lot of it, once you get the rhythmic pattern is easy enough, but there are a few sticky bits that require some thought on the 2d page, and the descending triads to the recap of the A theme prior is tricky for me - my hands are kind of thick and I don't have long fingers - but if I keep the movingRH hand UNDERNEATH the LH, instead of over it, it works - just takes practice. The goal is to play it as relaxed as possible of course. I'll post from time to time as it gets into my playing apparatus.
Sidebar: I played the fugue from the Alkan Sonata as a teenager for a very scary guy - Raymond Lewenthal, who, I believe is the one who resurrected Alkan from the dust bin. He was...intense, and OMG, he could PLAY very well.