This single-movement masterwork is a triumph of thematic transformation, where a few initial motives evolve into vastly different emotional landscapes. It remains one of the most structurally sophisticated and psychologically deep compositions of the 19th century.
The student must maintain the work's massive architecture and narrative arc while overcoming immense endurance and voicing challenges.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Piano Sonata in B minor (S. 178) is rated Henle level 9 of 9 — virtuoso repertoire, roughly concert / virtuoso level. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 10.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 9 — meaning you can already play level 8–9 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Piano Sonata in B minor (S. 178) lasts about 30 minutes.
Piano Sonata in B minor (S. 178) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Bénédiction et serment, 2 motifs de Benvenuto Cellini de Hector Berlioz by Franz Liszt, Ballade No.2 by Franz Liszt, Ballade No.1 by Franz Liszt — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.