Kar Ming writes:

>Which brings me to ask: Why do composers such as Sorabji or Alkan even
>bother to compose these unplayable pieces? Unless they're hoping that
>someone, somewhere has three pairs of hands......or has time on their
>hands ;-)

I can't speak for Sorabji, but I can attest that nothing Alkan wrote cannot
be played.  In fact most of his music has now been not only recorded but
played in public concerts by such artists as Marc-Andre Hamelin, Ronald
Smith and John Gibbons.  And why? Because they are transcendentally
wonderful music.

Scott Morrison