Le chemin de fer (Alkan)

27, is a programmatic étude for piano composed by Charles-Valentin Alkan in 1844,[1] frequently cited as the first musical representation of a railway.

[6] The only respite from the torrent comes at the coda, in which the note durations lengthen and the piece comes to a close, portraying the train pulling into a station.

[7] The most recurrent criticism of the étude disparages its banal programmatic nature,[3] and it has been rated very poorly compared with Alkan's other compositions.

[10] The piece's historical accuracy has also been questioned, given that it was composed in 1844, a period in railway history when trains seldom travelled faster than 19 mph (30 km/h).

[6] Despite these denigrations, its joyful melody has been celebrated as a forerunner to Arthur Honegger's famous orchestral work, Pacific 231, which also represents a locomotive.

"Le chemin de fer" is characterized by rapidly repeating bass notes, difficult to play and exacerbated by the extreme tempo.
The "happy passengers" melody is not as thick as the main "locomotion" gauntlet.
The musical climax, extremely intense and involved, is still played at the same astronomical speed.