Franz Liszt finished his PIano Sonata in B minor, S. 178, in 1853. It was first published the following year, and premiered in 1857. The piece was dedicated to Robert Schumann, as a gesture for Schumann's dedication of his Fantaisie Op. 17 to Liszt. However, Clara Schumman did not like the sonata and refused to perform it. This unenthusiastic welcome was apparently echoed by Brahms and other notable composers. Richard Wagner, however, took to the piece with great enthusiasm. This unpopular debut, coupled with its extreme difficulty, made it hard for the Sonata in B minor to reach a repertoire status. It was eventually accepted at the turn of the century. Several arrangements of this work exist: Camille Saint-Saëns, friend of Liszt, made a two-piano arrangement n 1914, but it was never published in his lifetime because of rights issues. It first appeared in print in 2004. There are several orchestral versions, and some extremely difficult soloist instrument arrangements (for violin and cello). A performance of the original version lasts about half an hour.
