 However, the publication of the 'Grande sonate' was unfortunate in its timing; in early 1848 the revolution emptied the capital of musical life, and Alkan's failure to obtain a professorship at the Paris Conservatoire later in the year led to his withdrawal from the concert scene.Liszt also left Paris for Weimar.For these reasons, consideration of Alkan's influence on Liszt's Sonata must remain speculative.