Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2, No. 3

The Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2, No. 3 was composed in 1795. It is dedicated to Joseph Haydn and is often cited as one of his early "great and virtuous" works. All three piano sonatas Op. 2 contains four movements, something unusual at the time, implying that Beethoven intended to compose a symphony. It is the heaviest of the three Op. 2 sonatas, and presents many difficulties for the performer, with complicated trills, uncomfortable hand movements and forearm rotation. It is also one of the longest sonatas. It has an average duration of 24 to 26 minutes, second only to the Grande Sonata in E♭ Major, Op. 7, published just a year later, in 1796.

The sonata is laid out in four movements:

I. Allegro con brio
II. Adagio
III. Scherzo: Allegro
IV. Allegro assai