Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813–1888) was a French composer and virtuoso pianist. His music writing covers many genres. His major works are extremely difficult to play and decipher, due to their length and heavy texture. But his collection of miniatures called Esquisses is a hidden treasure. The range of this work is vast: it includes short character pieces in various styles and genres, from pre-Baroque to Impressionism. Alkan showed his mature compositional skill, endless creativity in these pieces. This work can be classified into eight unique styles. I choose one piece from each style to give a thorough analysis of Alkan's musical language and guidance either technical or musically challenging passages. I hope this dissertation can assist both teachers and students in learning this underrated work.