The Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor was composed in the spring of 1868 for the impending conducting début of the Russian composer Anton Rubinstein in Paris. Saint-Saëns wrote the piece in little more than two weeks. The great hurry was essential in order to meet the scheduled date of the concert. nor did he have much time to master the solo part. After this unpropitious premiere, the work soon made its way into the repertoire.