Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2

Quick Facts

• Written between 1794-95, when Beethoven was in his mid-20s
• The third of three piano sonatas comprising Op. 2
• Dedicated to Joseph Haydn, with whom he had studied in Vienna¹

About the Piece

• Beethoven’s three piano sonatas of Op. 2 were considered to be large-scale works at the time. All three consist of four movements, which had mainly only been associated with symphonies and string quartets.
  • Three movements were far more standard at the time, as seen in the piano sonatas of Mozart and Haydn.
• Piano Sonata No. 3 is highly virtuosic, grand, and technically challenging, functioning more closely to a solo piano concerto.²

1. “Piano Sonata No.3, Op.2 No.3 (Beethoven, Ludwig van),” IMSLP, accessed November 13, 2023, https://imslp.org/wiki/Piano_Sonata_No.3%2C_Op.2_No.3_(Beethoven%2C_Ludwig_van).
2. John Henken, “Piano Sonata No. 3 in C, Op. 2,” Hollywood Bowl, accessed November 13, 2023, https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/musicdb/pieces/2837/piano-sonata-no-3-in-c-op-2.